An area farmer was on Capitol Hill last week to offer his perspective on challenges and opportunities in agriculture.
Hinton’s Orchard and Farm Market co-owner and co-founder Jeremy Hinton testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Wednesday as part of their hearing “Perspectives From the Field: Farmer and Rancher Views on the Agricultural Economy.”
Hinton, an eighth-generation farmer and president of the LaRue County Farm Bureau Federation, said as the committee drafts the next Farm Bill he would like to see more support for specialty crop growers.
“While most traditional row crop acres are covered under the Federal Crop Insurance program, participation for specialty crop growers is often more complicated,” Hinton said “Because of sporadic geographic distribution limits and policy availability, agents and growers must often work to ensure specialty crops under RMA-approved written agreements.”
Hinton also noted the need for support of extension programs from land grant universities.
“Extension recommendations for disease and pest control and fertility in our crops is invaluable to our success,” Hinton said. “Your support is vital to research and direct technical assistance delivered by our colleges of agriculture.”
Hinton said according to the Census of Agriculture, Kentucky lost more than 546,000 acres of farmland from 2017 to 2022. He noted the creation of the Kentucky Farm Bureau Kentucky Farmland Transition Initiative as a measure against the loss of family-owned farmlands.
“I urge your involvement in developing solutions to this important issue,” Hinton said. “While on one hand, new neighbors mean new customers for retail markets like ours, we must find a balance between well-planned development and farmland preservation to ensure the future of our farms and our rural communities.”
Kentucky has representation on the Senate Agriculture Committee through Senator Mitch McConnell.
