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Speed Doesn't Equal Transparency With New Farm Bill

The 2012 Farm Bill missed its initial deadline of November 1, but lawmakers say it is near completion.

The farm bill is rewritten every five years, and this year it was put into overdrive -- a Congressional supercommittee hoped to ready it within two weeks' time.

Some lawmakers, like Minnesota's representative Collin Peterson, are feeling optimistic about the bipartisan effort to cut spending with the new farm bill.

However the speed of the bill also means less -- or no -- time for input, either by the public or the Obama administration.

But that hasn't stopped the efforts of local and organic farmers. A group of Ohio farmers flew to Washington, D.C. on Thursday to plead their case.

"Those are systems that promote food that is good for us, that's good for the planet and is good for farmers to produce. The bill also will help to strengthen local and regional food systems," says Strawberry Hill Farm's Ron Meyer.

Read More:

  • A few days late, farm cut proposal nears roll out (MPR News)
  • Ohio Farmers Fly-In to DC to Talk About Protecting Local Farms (Public News Service)