[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 109 (Thursday, June 28, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4725-S4726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               FARM BILL

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to commend Agriculture Committee 
Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow for their leadership in 
crafting a bipartisan farm bill that will help support our Nation's 
farmers and growers, provide funding for critical agriculture research 
programs, and make important investments in nutrition and food security 
programs.
  It is an exciting time for agriculture in Maine. In fact, according 
to a recent study, Maine ranks first in the Nation for farming outlook, 
which considers factors such as farmer age, percentage of beginning 
farmers, and number of farms per 100 residents. According to the most 
recent Census data, the share of Maine farms owned and operated by 
farmers under the age of 45 is steadily growing. These factors show 
that Maine farms are poised for continued growth and long-term success.
  The bill we have just passed includes a number of provisions from the 
Next Generation in Agriculture Act, which I introduced with Senator 
Heitkamp, including a reauthorization of the Beginning Farmer and 
Rancher Development Grant Program at a higher funding level. Since this 
program was established nearly a decade ago, it has supported more than 
60,000 beginning farmers across every region of the country. In Maine, 
these grants have helped to build the capacity and skills of beginning 
farmers, as well as implement a dairy farmer apprenticeship program.
  Maine's agricultural resurgence has also been bolstered by a rapidly 
expanding organic sector. According to the Maine Organic Farmers and 
Gardeners Association, Maine's organic agriculture sector has grown 76 
percent over the past 5 years alone. In 2017, the association certified 
535 farmers and producers representing more than 90,000 acres of 
farmland. The strong support for organic agriculture in this bill will 
help ensure that this sector continues its growth.
  Federal investment in organic agriculture research, however, has not 
kept pace with the growth of organic producers. This bill incorporates 
legislation I introduced with Senator Casey that will increase funding 
for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, OREI. 
These additional resources will help ensure our farmers and producers 
benefit from the rising demand for organic products.
  In addition to experiencing a resurgence in agriculture, Maine is 
also in the midst of reorienting its forest products industry following 
the downturn of traditional pulp and paper production in our State. I 
am encouraged to see that the bill supports innovative wood products 
research and development at institutions of higher learning. Based on 
provisions of the Timber Innovation Act, which I have cosponsored, the 
bill would authorize grants to advance the use of innovative wood 
products. Priority would be given to proposals that include the use or 
retrofitting of existing sawmill facilities with higher-than-average 
unemployment rates, which could be helpful to States such as Maine that 
are still recovering from the job losses from the closure of 
traditional mills.
  An amendment that I sponsored with Senator Cantwell to direct the 
Forest Service to continue using remote sensing technologies when 
conducting forest inventory and analysis activities has also been 
incorporated. This technology is faster and less expensive 
thanphysically surveying plots of land and would enable the Forest 
Service to provide more accurate data to inform forest management 
decisions.
  The bill also includes a number of provisions from the Local FARMS 
Act, legislation that I led with Senator Brown. One key provision 
provides mandatory funding for the Organic Certification Cost-Share 
Program, which helps to cover a portion of the costs associated with 
obtaining or renewing organic certifications.
  Another component from our Local FARMS Act is the Local Agriculture 
Market Program, which will provide grants to support the development 
and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer marketing, as well as 
value-added agricultural products.
  The bill also includes important provisions that help combat hunger, 
including the Local FARMS Act's establishment of a Harvesting Health 
pilot program through which fresh fruits and vegetables are provided to 
low-income individuals and households, as well as the reauthorization 
of the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. The latter program is 
critically important for combating hunger among seniors and is 
complemented by the Farm Bill's reauthorization of the Commodity 
Supplemental Food Program, also known as the Senior Food Box Program. 
In an effort to help more seniors access and remain enrolled in the 
Senior Food Box Program, I am pleased that the bill includes a 
provision from legislation I authored with Senator Casey, the 
Nourishing Our Golden Years Act, which would allow States to establish 
a 3-year certification period for participants 60 years or older, 
effectively simplifying the process to provide this much-needed 
support.
  The Specialty Crop Block Grant program that has been so vital for 
farmers and producers in my State is reauthorized for another 5 years. 
These grants support research and extension activities that address key 
challenges facing specialty crops, including Maine's iconic potatoes 
and lowbush blueberries, aiming to improve production efficiency, 
address threats from pests and diseases, more accurately prevent and 
monitor potential food safety hazards, and enhance crop 
characteristics.
  The bill also makes important investments to support the export of 
U.S. agricultural products by reauthorizing both the Market Access 
Program, MAP, and the Foreign Market Development Program, which are 
critical to the success of Maine farmers and fishermen as they work to 
remain competitive in the global marketplace. According to the Maine 
International Trade Center, MAP has allowed Maine companies to expand 
their markets and

[[Page S4726]]

create more local jobs by facilitating the promotion and sale of Maine 
products like wild blueberries in the Middle East, maple syrup in 
Central Africa, and shellfish in the Far East.
  As we continue to promote products such as maple syrup abroad, we 
must also ensure that we are not hindering their success here at home. 
Pure maple sugar producers in my state have expressed serious concerns 
with the ``added sugar'' requirements in the FDA's updated nutrition 
facts label rule. The rule would require the label to state that all 
sugar in the product is ``added sugar.'' While the FDA intended for the 
rule to help consumers make better-informed dietary choices, it is 
clear that the Agency's proposal instead creates confusion. Producers 
believe that the term ``added sugar,'' when used with a single-
ingredient sweetener such as pure maple syrup or honey, implies the 
addition of another sugar like corn syrup.
  I have raised this issue directly with FDA Commissioner Gottlieb, who 
is open to considering other approaches proposed by the industry, and 
have addressed it through language in the agriculture funding bill that 
directs FDA to evaluate alternate labeling proposals. Although I am 
encouraged to see that the FDA recently announced it would ``swiftly 
formulate a revised approach that makes key information available to 
consumers in a workable way,'' I have joined Senator King in offering 
an amendment to help ensure that this problem is rectified.
  Another reasonable reform I am pleased to see included is sponsored 
by Senator Grassley. It closes a loophole allowing an unlimited number 
of passive ``managers'' to be designated by farm entities for the 
purpose of collecting farm subsidies. These subsidies are intended to 
support workers who are truly ``actively engaged.'' This provision will 
save an estimated $211 million, $100 million of which will be 
reallocated to The Emergency Food Assistance Program, TEFAP, which 
supports food pantries around the country.
  It is a testament to the leadership of Chairman Roberts and Ranking 
Member Stabenow that they have produced a strongly bipartisan farm 
bill, and I am pleased to have supported it.

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