Climate Smart Specialty Crops Pt 2
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. Climate Smart agriculture is just one of the big national issues farmers and ranchers are watching closely following two years of extreme challenges.
Mark Powers, president of the Northwest Horticultural Council, says specialty crop producers have been more actively participating in the national conversations …
POWERS-1 = 23 … “They are, and I think that’s been a long time coming, but it happened even with the trade wars, and then you had Coronavirus Food Assistance Programs and the attention that specialty crops were able to get by saying, we’re hurting too. If you’re going to be giving this money out and helping people, which is the right thing to do, make sure you can help us as well.”
To that end, Powers says the specialty crop industry has come together …
POWERS … “So, there was, I think, a lot of effort nationally from, what, 300 specialty crops, or something like that. So, a lot of very small voices, but united they can deliver a good, more powerful message in Washington D.C., whether that’s to the Secretary of Agriculture or Congress.”
One of the bigger matters, Powers says is coming up …
POWERS … “We’ve got the new Farm Bill coming up. There’s a Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance which brings everybody together and allows us to go to Congress and have specific Farm Bill programs that do target specialty crop producers.”
Powers says our involvement has been growing, right along with the consumer interest in where their food comes from.
