Bennet Office to Hold Farm Bill Listening Sessions Across Colorado

Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet is partnering with local producers and agricultural organizations to hold listening sessions across the state in advance of his work on the next Farm Bill.

Bennet, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, held similar staff-led meetings with farmers and ranchers that informed his work on the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2014 Farm Bill provided new resources to rural communities, cut red tape by streamlining dozens of programs, and reduced the deficit. The bill also included important provisions to improve forest health, reduce the risk of wildfires, and strengthen conservation programs.

“The previous listening sessions we held across Colorado helped guide our priorities for the 2014 Farm Bill,” Bennet said. “I look forward to hearing again from Colorado farmers and ranchers – from the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope to the San Luis Valley – as we build upon our previous work. The experiences and ideas from Coloradans are crucial to crafting legislation that will support our state’s agriculture and rural communities.”

The Farm Bill governs our national food and farm policy, including crop insurance, nutrition, and conservation, and is typically reauthorized every five years. Lawmakers in the House and Senate Agriculture committees are beginning to develop the next Farm Bill, before the current measure expires in late 2018.

The listening sessions will gather members of the agricultural community to meet with policy advisors and regional liaisons from Bennet’s staff. Times and locations for the March listening sessions are listed below. Details for April listening sessions will be announced in the near future.

Space is limited, so please RSVP with this link.

March 20

Fort Collins
11:30am-1pm
CSU Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center
CoBank Building
4616 NE Frontage Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80524

Greeley
2:30-4pm
Eckhardt Farms (Machine Shed)
21454 County Rd. 33, LaSalle, CO 80645

March 23

Yuma
9:30-11am
Weathers Family Farms (Machine Shed)
11600 U.S. Highway 34, Yuma, CO 80759

Sterling
1-2:30pm
Northeastern Junior College
Hays Student Center, Tennant Art Gallery
100 College Ave., Sterling, CO 80751

Fort Morgan
3:30-5pm
Quail Ridge Dairy
13500 County Road 21, Fort Morgan, CO 80701

March 28

Burlington
10:30am-12pm
Midway Theater and Cultural Event Center
446 14th St., Burlington, CO 80807

Limon
2-3:30pm
Limon Community Building
North Room
477 D Ave., Limon, CO 80828

March 29

Walsh
9-10:30am
Walsh Community Building
100 N. Colorado St., Walsh, CO 81090

Lamar
1-2:30pm
Lamar Community College
Buchanan Events Room
2401 S Main St., Lamar, CO 81052

La Junta
3:30-5pm
Otero Junior College
Student Center Banquet Room
2001 San Juan Ave., La Junta, CO 81050

March 30

Trinidad
9-10:30am
Mount Carmel Community Center
Ziccardi Hall
911 Robinson Ave., Trinidad, CO 81082

Avondale
1-2:30pm
McHarg Park Community Center
405 2nd Ln., Avondale, CO 81022