Agriculture: Cornerstone of a nation

In my home state of Montana, agriculture is the backbone of our economy. It is the thread that binds neighbors and connects generations. Driving across Big Sky Country you can literally spend hours in nothing but farm land. And I know that it is like this in states all across our country. And we must do everything we can to protect family farms and ranches, from peach farmers in Georgia, to cattle ranchers in Texas, to wheat farmers in my neck of the woods.

Agriculture is more than a profession, or an industry. It’s a way of life, and I want to make sure that it is not only the cornerstone of our heritage, but the hallmark of our future.

As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I recently unveiled a multi-billion dollar agriculture tax package to help farmers and ranchers. This bill will put a few more dollars in producers pockets, free up some funds for the farm bill, and ensure that one act of God won’t force folks to sell the family farm.

Disaster Assistance

First and foremost, this package would create permanent Ag disaster assistance. At a recent press conference, I was joined by several Senators as well as members from the National Farmers Union to push for this vital legislation. Creating a permanent disaster funds is not only fair, it’s common sense.

After toiling in the fields for 18 hours a day, trying to make ends meet, and putting food on America’s table, producers should be able to come home at night, spend time with their family and go to sleep. They shouldn’t have to lay awake at night wondering if not enough rain, or too much rain, will force them to sell the land that their grandparents and great-grandparents homesteaded. We cannot control Mother Nature, but we can control the extent it affects America’s agriculture. I believe a permanent disaster program can provide more effective relief to our farmers and save taxpayers money.

Tax Incentives For Producers

This package will also provide billions of dollars in tax incentives for producers. Currently, when producers put land into conservation easements, they receive cash payments. However, I’ve crafted a way to allow producers to choose between receiving either a direct cash payment or receiving a tax incentive. This is really a win-win situation. By allowing producers the choice of cash or tax incentive, the package give producers  the compensation that they deserve, while free up much-needed funds for the farm bill.

As a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I understand that this year’s farm bill is going to be very tight, and we are going to have to tighten our belts a little. That’s why I’m working hard to find some extra dollars so we can make the pie a little bigger. By working together with Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), I’m confident that we are going to craft a bill that is good for our producers, and good for our country.

Boosting Alternative Energy

I’m also working to provide tax incentives for farmers who are working to boost alternative fuel productions.  It’s no secret that we are dependent on foreign oil, and I want to work to lessen this dependency. And the answer to this could literally be blowing in the wind, or growing in the fields.

By providing farmers and ranchers with incentives to pursue alternative crops, we can boost energy production here at home, and create more good-paying jobs. I truly believe that alternative energy crops could be the wave of the future for agriculture.

Agriculture has a special place in America’s history. Our country was built on the backs of farmers and ranchers, and they are what helped turn a young colony into a world superpower. I can think of no better tribute to the importance of agriculture than that of President George Washington who said “I know of no pursuit in which more real and important services can be rendered to any country than by improving its agriculture.”

And as I meet with farmers and ranchers in towns in my state, places like Rapelje and Wibaux, where salt of the earth folks carve out an honest days work, then gather at the local watering to talk about the weather, they all say the same thing: what’s the future of agriculture? While I can’t give them a definite answer, I can promise them that I will do everything in my power to make sure agriculture is as strong in America, as when Washington first addressed our very young nation.

Baucus is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and senior member of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry  Committee.

Special section: Agriculture

A better way to provide farmers with financial security while reducing the cost to taxpayers
Farm bill: Helping America’s working families
Agriculture: Cornerstone of a nation
Making wise investments for our nation’s future
Farm bill is fiscally and environmentally prudent while maintaining a safety net
Righting the wrongs of the farm bill
Fighting for specialty crops