[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14117]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               FARM BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
South Dakota (Mrs. Noem) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, as we approach the end of this week, we come 
even closer to the date on which our farm bill will expire, which is on 
September 30, in just a short period of time.
  Yesterday, we had a rally here on the Capitol grounds that hundreds 
of farmers from across the Nation came together and talked about the 
importance of doing a farm bill now. That was the driving theme because 
we recognize the responsibility that farmers across this Nation have to 
feed our families and to make sure that they have food that they can 
put on the tables across this world.
  Recently, I received a letter from some producers in South Dakota. 
Myron and Mary are real people, and they live near Wall, South Dakota. 
I wanted to read this letter for you today. They have a farming and 
ranching operation that they have had since 1969 near the Badlands of 
South Dakota. They farm around 750 acres of corn and wheat in South 
Dakota, and like many producers, they're struggling through this 
drought that has afflicted our country. I want to read a portion of 
that letter to you:

       Our area was designated extreme drought early July. The 
     corn usually yields 60 bushels per acre; wheat, 50 bushels 
     per acre; safflower, 1,200 pounds per acre; alfalfa, 1 ton 
     per acre. This year, the corn was cut for hay and silage, the 
     safflower yielded half, and the alfalfa was next to nothing. 
     We usually raise enough hay to meet our needs. To date, we 
     have spent $120,000 to buy hay, and we still need more.
       The farm bill is important to our operation in two areas in 
     particular: Number one, crop insurance that is all inclusive 
     (hail, fire, drought); and, number two, disaster assistance 
     as provided in the last farm bill but expired last year. 
     Disaster assistance is desperately needed now due to the 
     drought.
       It is the time of year to plant wheat and to wean calves, 
     which we will do. We don't know if it will rain, but if we 
     knew that a farm bill was in place, we could make the 
     decisions whether to maintain our cowherd numbers and if we 
     plant crop. Please pass a farm bill before the end of the 
     year.

  I want you to take a look at this picture that's next to me that is a 
cornfield in South Dakota. It was taken a while ago. If you would look 
at this field, traditionally, when this picture was taken, that corn 
should be lush and green; it would be setting ears, it would be 
building test weight, and it would be ready for harvest. Instead, these 
stalks are falling over due to the drought. They weren't able to 
provide much in growth and are struggling. This corn, more than likely, 
will be cut for silage--for feed for cattle--instead of returning on 
the investment for the producers that planted it hoping to get a crop.
  We need to give Myron and Mary and producers such as those that own 
this corn and their families that depend on the food grown in this 
country the certainty of a farm bill. We cannot wait for the next 
disaster. We need to do our job. We need to continue to provide for our 
families across this country that need affordable food policies and 
depend upon this country and the security that a strong food program 
can bring them through doing a farm bill now.

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