Agriculture policy students at the University of Arkansas at Monticello are gathering firsthand information as the 2007 Farm Bill begins development.

Photo courtesy of Media Services

Observing --- Rep. Mike Ross' town hall meeting on Farm Bill legislation included (from left): Kerry Hartness of Monticello (blue stripes); LaDuska Simpson of DeWitt (multi-colored stripes); Dr. Kelly Bryant, division of Agriculture chair and SEREC director (white shirt); Dain Strickland of Monticello (red plaid) and John Jackson of Gould (light blue shirt). Also present but not shown were Dr. Paul Francis and Dr. Bob Stark.

   Policy class members traveled with Bob Stark, associate professor of agricultural economics, and Paul Francis, professor of agriculture, to two public sessions where producers and agriculture industry leaders provided comments on what is and is not working within the current legislation.

   On Jan. 11, U.S. Rep. Mike Ross and his special guest, Congressman Colin Peterson of Minnesota, hosted a town hall meeting to gather statements for the House Agriculture Committee.

   UAM students got a different slant on the same topic when the Arkansas Farm Bureau sponsored an opinions session under the direction of Farm Bureau Vice President Randy Veach of Manila. Veach heads a statewide Farm Bureau committee examining the present farm bill and developing the Farm Bureau policy positions that the organization will support when the real bill development begins in Congress.