Kansas Farm Bill Coalition

By Lois Schlickau

            Over an eighteen-month period, twenty-one Kansas farm, commodity and industry organizations met together six times as the Kansas Farm Bill Coalition (KFBC).

            The Mission Statement reads:  “A coalition of Kansas agricultural organizations working together to achieve agricultural policy, which creates and sustains a long-term, competitive and profitable agricultural industry; while providing a safe and secure food, fiber and energy supply for consumers.”

            A Steering Committee was established to plan structured discussions and identify resource experts to discuss consensus recommendations for inclusion in the next Farm Bill currently being debated in the United States Congress. 

            Through extensive discussion and courteous consideration of all viewpoints, the KFBC reached unanimous consensus on thirty-four recommendations plus majority consensus on other proposals.  These proposals were presented to the Kansas Congressional delegation at a ceremony in Topeka and to the news media, and later were delivered by some of the participants to congressional representatives in Washington, D.C.

            This coming together of diverse state agricultural groups was a unique accomplishment that allowed them to speak in one voice on various aspects of the currently debated new Farm Bill.  Kansas Agri-Women participated in all six of the discussion meetings.

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