Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, is poised to take the leadership of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee in the next term, giving her the top position to help Michigan farmers.
Legislation that authorizes all the funding and programs of the Department of Agriculture, called the Farm Bill, is renewed every five years and will come up during Stabenow’s tenure, MSU Extension Director Thomas Coon said. As committee chairwoman, Stabenow would have the chief position in deciding the fate of current programs, and the best opportunity to lobby for new sections to the bill.
Usually, the committee is headed by a senator from a state that produces “bulk commodities,” which include corn, wheat, rice and cotton, Coon said. Although Michigan produces some of these crops, it produces primarily speciality crops, he said.
“We have tremendously diverse agriculture in Michigan,” Coon said. “We do grow soybeans, wheat and corn, but we also grow a lot of other crops. … We also have apples and peaches and cucumbers and sugar beets — really a wide variety of crops that we grow.”
In a statement, Stabenow said she understands the importance of agriculture in Michigan and across the nation and hopes to bring that appreciation to the committee.
“American agriculture not only creates jobs and feeds our families, but it also brings innovation to the development of new fuels and energy sources,” Stabenow said. “With the next Farm Bill right around the corner, I am ready once again to advocate for and strengthen this critical part of our economy for Michigan and our country.”
During the previous Farm Bill renewal, Stabenow proved she is a good advocate for Michigan farms, Coon said.
“She got some significant changes made regarding speciality crops,” Coon said. “Even though she wasn’t the chair, she was able to accomplish those things.”
Apart from the Farm Bill, Stabenow also could play a role in climate change legislation, said Robert Richardson, an assistant professor in Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies.
“We would expect for her to push for the incorporation of agricultural offsets in a climate bill,” Richardson said. “She could potentially influence the ways in which landowners could be compensated for the carbon sequestration benefits provided by forests on their lands.”
Stabenow’s position as committee chairwoman would advance Michigan’s image as an agricultural state, Coon said.
“(If Stabenow serves as chairwoman,) people are going to think, ‘Oh yeah, Michigan, it’s not a breadbasket. It’s a fruit basket, it’s a veggie basket — it’s a food basket,’” Coon said. “It gives us that identity, and I think that really opens up some opportunities.”
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