Senate Agriculture Committee Holds Hearing with Secretary Vilsack

On March 16^th, the Senate Agriculture Committee held an oversight hearing examining the Department of Agriculture.  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack testified on the Department of Agriculture (USDA) operations and recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill. Find his testimony HERE. Nutrition policy topped the list of issues discussed, with Republicans pressing for reforms and spending reductions and Democrats defending recent changes that have greatly increased the cost of nutrition programs.  How the farm bill and other government programs should support various sizes of farms was also the subject of much discussion.  Other topics included urban farming, broadband access, data-driven precision agriculture, and foreign ownership of agricultural land.