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FEDERALhearing transcript

Hearing on Economic Opportunities in Local Agriculture

Original title: ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FROM LOCAL AGRICULTURAL MARKETS

January 1, 2020

agriculture local food systems farm economy small business rural development

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing examines the economic health of small-to-mid-sized farms and the role of in maintaining farm profitability.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Farmers and Ranchers

The hearing addresses the economic viability of their business operations and potential shifts in market access.

Consumers

The hearing discusses the availability and sourcing of locally produced food products.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2020.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript of a 2020 House Subcommittee hearing exploring how farmers and ranchers can improve their financial viability by selling products directly to local consumers. It features testimony from agricultural leaders and business owners regarding the challenges and opportunities in the local food market.

Key Facts

The hearing was held on February 11, 2020, by the Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research.
The 2017 Census of Agriculture reported that over 159,000 farmers and ranchers sold products directly to consumers.
The hearing focused on the financial viability of farm operations in the context of a lagging farm economy.
The subcommittee discussed the increasing consumer interest in locally produced food as a potential revenue stream for producers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

The hearing was held to discuss how farmers and ranchers can use local agricultural markets to improve their financial stability.

Who testified at the hearing?

Witnesses included Sommer Sibilly-Brown (Virgin Islands Good Food Coalition), Kathy Zeman (Minnesota Farmers' Market Association), Clay Oliver (Oliver Oil Company LLC), and Bret Erickson (J&D Produce Inc.).

Why It Matters

The hearing examines the economic health of small-to-mid-sized farms and the role of in maintaining farm profitability.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Focus on Local Markets

The hearing highlights a strategic shift in agricultural policy focus toward supporting small-scale, direct-to-consumer sales as a response to broader economic downturns in the farm sector.

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

Connected Entities

personSommer Sibilly-Brown“Witness, Founder and Executive Director of Virgin Islands Good Food Coalition”Map →

personBret Erickson“Witness, Senior Vice President for Business Affairs at J&D Produce Inc.”Map →

personKathy Zeman“Witness, Executive Director of Minnesota Farmers' Market Association”Map →

personAngie Craig“Representative from Minnesota who presided over the hearing”Map →

personClay Oliver“Witness, Owner of Oliver Oil Company LLC”Map →

personStacey E. Plaskett“Chair of the Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research”Map →

organizationUSDA National Agricultural Statistics Service“Source of the 2017 Census of Agriculture data”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance30
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy5
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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