Letter to the Editor; Farm bill, SNAP and start of new trend passes

The House of Representatives and House Republican leadership recently took a bold step to separate the Farm Bill into farm policy and feeding programs (aka food stamps). When asked for a reaction, the most common answer in my farm community is “it’s about time.”

We have allowed Congress to fall into a pattern of mega-bills too large for anyone but full time lobbyists to read and understand. Focusing on issues separately allows for more transparency, better debate, and less opportunity for brokered back scratching. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a relatively recent addi...