Farm Issues

FREELANDVILLE, IND. (WTHI) -      An Indiana agriculture organization honors a southern Indiana congressman while still calling for a finished farm bill.

     The current federal farm bill expires at the end of the month.

     The uncertainty in the future of the legislation is leaving farmers guessing as they plan for next year.

     There's work yet to do in the fields, but with a morning rain leaving puddles behind there was time in the barn lot to talk politics.

     At the Villwock Farm in northern Knox County, 8th District Congressman Larry Bucshon received a Friends of the Farm Bureau award.

     "Congressman Bucshon has the very best voting record in the Indiana Delegation in supporting agriculture," said Indiana Farm Bureau President Don Villwock.

     "Agriculture is a big part of my Congressional district and so it's an honor for me to have Farm Bureau recognize what I've done of their behalf in the 112th Congress," said Bucshon.

     The Farm Bureau may be pleased with the way Bucshon has voted during this congressional session but at the same time there's a certain amount of disappointment that the session so far has produced no farm bill.

     "We've just been through the drought and we don't know if we're going to have crop insurance next year, so a lot at risk," said Villwock.  "Hopefully, they can get that passed but with all those unknowns farmers are greatly disappointed."

     "I was hopeful the farm bill that was passed in the house committee would be voted on," explained Bucshon, "but on both sides of the aisle there weren't enough votes to get it passed."

     That means it will be up to a lame duck Congress to take on the farm bill after the election.
 
     Congressman Bucshon's opponent Democrat Dave Crooks said, "Congressman Bucshon is clearly not a friend of Indiana farmers. Not only did he fail to secure the Farm Bureau endorsement for a second term to Congress, but he failed to demonstrate any leadership on the desperately needed farm bill."