A west-central Missouri congressman is hopeful Congress passes a good farm bill this year.
Every five years, Congress is expected to pass the “farm bill,” which sets national agriculture, nutrition and conservation policy. U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Raymore) serves on the House Agriculture Committee. His district includes part of Columbia, Centralia, Hallsville and Sedalia.
“We are trying to make sure with the farm bill that we are getting our children fed, that our farmers are secure and that we are good stewards with God’s creation,” Alford says.
Child nutrition has traditionally been a bipartisan issue on Capitol Hill, dating back to the days of former U.S. Sen. Jack Danforth (R) and former U.S. Reps. Jerry Litton (D-Chillicothe), Ike Skelton (D-Lexington) Harold Volkmer (D-Hannibal). Litton, Skelton and Volkmer have since passed away. Congressman Litton died in the 1976 plane crash in Chillicothe, the night he won Missouri’s Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
Congressman Alford, whose sprawling district includes the Missouri State Fairgrounds, says Missouri farmers feed the world. He spoke to 939 the Eagle at the recent ribbon-cutting for Columbia’s massive Swift Foods plant.
