04/18/07 Congressmen talk, producers listen

To Idaho farmer Sid Freeman the most important thing that Congress is working on is the 2007 Farm Bill. FREEMAN "I feel that a strong and viable agriculture industry is one of the most important cornerstones in the foundation of our national security." A third generation farmer, Freeman grows potatoes, corn, beans and seed crops near Middleton. Freeman was one of the farmers who took time out during the Easter recess to visit with Congressman Mike Simpson and Bill Sali at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa. Simpson and Sali told producers that four years of war will mean budget cuts across the board. FREEMAN "I realize that we have a war that needs to be paid for but it needs to be paid for by everybody across the board." Sali agrees with farmers like Sid Freeman who feel that food is another element of national security and that a strong farm bill means a strong nation. SALI "Food, fiber and energy are the three things that agriculture really produces. Food is probably the most important and as a matter of national security we better take care, making sure we have a health agricultural economy. The Bush administration is proposing commodity payment cuts to the wealthiest producers while offering incentives for conservation programs. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott