‘Field Rows to Food Bank’ event provides update on Farm Bill

SIKESTON — The Southeast Missouri Food Bank held its first-ever “Field Rows to Food Bank” program Tuesday, Aug. 22, to give local farmers an update on the 2023 Farm Bill and how it affects them and efforts to end hunger. 

The Farm Bill is the single largest piece of federal legislation pertaining to agriculture and food. The millions of Americans who are hungry are affected in terms of access to nutrient-rich food.

“Farmers are vital to southeast Missouri’s economy,” said Joey Keys, chief executive officer of SEMO Food Bank. “We think it’s important they are informed about legislation that has such a direct impact on their livelihood. But we also want them to see how critical the farm bill is to our work and making sure neighbors facing hunger have access to nutritious food.”

Gina Williams/Standard Democrat Matt Bain, district director for Sen. Josh Hawley, speaks about the Farm Bill’s development during the first-ever “Field Rows to Food Bank” event Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, at the Southeast Missouri Food Bank in Sikeston

Gina Williams/Standard Democrat Matt Bain, district director for Sen. Josh Hawley, speaks about the Farm Bill’s development during the first-ever “Field Rows to Food Bank” event Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, at the Southeast Missouri Food Bank in Sikeston

The Farm Bill, which is set to expire Sept. 30, which is renewed every five years, regulates the country’s main nutrition programs, including SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) and CSFP (Commodity Supplemental Food Program). 

Local farmers and other members of the agricultural community who attended the event heard updates on the Farm Bill’s development from Matt Bain, district director for Sen. Josh Hawley and Heath Robins, southeast district director for Sen. Eric Schmitt.

Brian Menz, CPA of Menz and Menz, provided insight on tax credits available to Missouri farmers as well.

Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, a special guest, talked about growing up in southeast Missouri and experiencing food insecurity firsthand. 

Rheder said when she was growing up, she moved more than 30 times between the end of the third grade and the start of the 10th grade, lived in mobile home park, and traveled across the states on a Greyhound bus.

“With moving over 30 times, we used the food banks, and it was a very important resource for us,” Rehder said. “The food bank in Sikeston was a vital part of us getting healthy nutrition.”

Bain, a native of Sikeston, was the first to address the update to the 2023 agriculture bill.

“Unfortunately, I have to bring you the news that there’s not much on the progress of the Farm Bill in Washington, D.C.,” Bain said. “It has been painfully slow.”

The majority of the most important and divisive components, according to Bain, are still being worked out. 

“Committee agriculture and policy experts in D.C. and across the nation are beginning to believe that we’re going to have to do a short-term extension of the 2018 farm bill at its current levels while the agriculture committees finish up the work,” Bain said.

Although the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have been having regular hearings, according to Bain, there is really no sign that things are about to start breaking loose and moving swiftly.

Hawley, according to Bain, is quite open to the idea of passing a short-term extension, but Hawley has made it evident Congress must also perform its duties and completing the agricultural bill this year is essential.

Robins also spoke, saying that while he wished he had more to add to Bain’s remarks, he was more than willing to sit down and hear anyone’s concerns  about the bill.

The Food Bank also provided an optional tour following the event. The Southeast Missouri Food Bank’s aim is to eradicate hunger and use the power of food to create thriving communities. One hundred forty charities and disaster relief programs in Southeast Missouri receive food donations from the food bank.