North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center Director Brad Lubben describes himself as a ‘cynical optimist.’ Lubben was part of a farm policy discussion at the Midwest Council Ag Forum and said lawmakers have been fighting over the same farm bill funding issues for many years. One issue is the use of the one-time Inflation Reduction Act to fund conservation programs. Secondly, Congress is bogged down with the Agriculture Secretary’s authority to use CCC funds. “We have a history, of almost 15 years battling over that discretionary authority and neither party generally seems to be willing to trust a (Agriculture) Secretary of the other party with how to spend that money so we’re fighting over the same issue.” Lubben, who is at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the third funding issue is with federal nutrition programs.
