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Indiana Senator hears tomato farmers Farm Bill priorities

A central Indiana farmer hosted a Farm Bill listening session with Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly and area farmers on Monday.

Josh Carey grows tomatoes, corn, and soybeans in Grant County. He tells Brownfield Indiana’s tomato growers want to make sure the Farm Flex program is permanent in the upcoming Farm Bill. The program allows farmers to forgo federal subsidies and opt out of restrictions on fruit and vegetable crop production so they can produce specialty crops to meet growing market demand.

Donnelly says crop insurance and school nutrition programs are also top Farm Bill priorities.

He says his job is to be the voice of Indiana farmers, and he can’t do that without hearing directly from Hoosiers.

“This is the best way – to be out here,” he says.

He says crop insurance and school nutrition programs are also top Farm Bill priorities.

The listening session is part of an ongoing effort by Donnelly to hear from Hoosiers about the upcoming Farm Bill. The tour kicked off in January in Indianapolis.

Audio: Senator Joe Donnelly