Emily Coffin from the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association Blog
August 14th, 2023
Last week, Congresswoman Pingree, along with her colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee, including Chairman GT Thompson of Pennsylvania, hosted Maine farmers and interested parties at Freeport High School to receive input on the 2023 Farm Bill. The bill is passed once every 5 years and determines how the federal government prioritizes domestic food policy. Although it was originally introduced in 1933 for the benefit of the agricultural industry, the bill has developed into a comprehensive amalgamation of bills that support all sectors of the food economy. The bill is extensive, from nutrition to broadband access. It includes 12 subsections and has great influence on how the country buys, produces, and manages national food production. Within the bill there are USDA provisions that provide grants to young farmers as marketing programs that could open and extend access and opportunity to fishermen, seafood processors, and other participants in the industry. It is a wonderful legislative opportunity to expose the fishing industry to the numerous federal benefits that farmers and food producers enjoy.