(LISTEN): U.S. House Agriculture committee to hold August listening session in Sedalia on farm bill, drought

By Zimmer Communications
alford pic
U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Raymore) greets customers inside Byrd’s Pecans in western Missouri’s Adrian on July 17, 2023 (photo courtesy of Congressman Alford’s Facebook page)

A west-central Missouri congressman who represents Columbia,  Centralia and Sturgeon on Capitol Hill is inviting you to attend an August 14 listening session on the federal farm bill in Sedalia.

U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Raymore) serves on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, which is hosting the listening session at the Missouri state fair.

“GT Thompson our chair is flying in for that. Governor (Mike) Parson will be there. The state (Department of Agriculture) ag director/administrator Chinn will be there. Chris Chinn,” Congressman Alford says.

Powerful House Agriculture Committee chair Glenn “GT” Thompson is from rural Pennsylvania.

Congressman Alford tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that the committee will also invite U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to speak at the listening session about the drought Missouri farmers are facing. Congressman Alford says the extreme drought is impacting farmers across his sprawling district. He says FFA students from Dade and Hickory counties were in his Washington DC office recently to discuss the drought.

“And one of them was almost in tears talking about her family that’s been in the dairy industry, they have dairy cows, about one hundred right now. And they cannot find food for these cows and they’re having to sell off half their herd,” says Alford.

You can hear the full interview with Congressman Alford here.