A critical component to feeding our Valley is the Federal Farm Bill, legislation that is signed into law every five years and makes it so that surplus food on farms goes to those in need.
 
In November, the Senate voted to pass a House bill for a continuing resolution, which included an extension of the 2018 Farm Bill. This legislation extends the farm bill through September 2024, something that plays a vital role in feeding our Valley, according to the Second Harvest Food Bank.
 
"The farm bill is an integral part of how we live and it's able to clear surplus production from farmers throughout the country," Second Harvest Food Bank Executive Director Mike Iberis said, "I have total confidence our legislators will get to work and reauthorize the farm bill."
 
The extension gives Congress ten months to pass a new farm bill, but there is still a lot to be negotiated, including funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
 
"There are millions of snap recipients in this country, so failure to reauthorize the farm bill this year would cause chaos in this country," Iberis said, "If you look at our warehouse, we hold approximately 1.5 million pounds of food here, and probably over 50-percent of that is from the farm bill."
 
Senator Sherrod Brown is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and tells 21 News he will continue to work with colleagues to pass the Farm Bill and ensure it includes critical policies so that Ohio families don't go hungry.