Linn-Benton Community College will host a farm bill listening session at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 2, the Albany-based school announced.
Five members of the U.S. House of Representatives will be on hand to solicit feedback from the local agricultural community as lawmakers work to reauthorize the farm bill, the governing legislation for U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, including agriculture development and nutrition programs.
The U.S. Farm Bill is reauthorized every five years, with the current bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act, set to expire in September.
The free event is open to the public and will take place in The Forum on the LBCC campus. It will also be live-streamed. Participating will be Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Oregon), Andrea Salinas (D-Oregon), Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pennsylvania), Doug LaMalfa (R-California) and David Valadao (R-California).
Thompson serves as chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture.
“LBCC is a leading community college in agriculture education and I am proud that we were chosen to host this event,” LBCC President Lisa Avery said in a press release. “Thanks to Rep. Chavez-DeRemer’s efforts to bring this event to the Mid-Valley, elected officials from around the country will have an opportunity to experience our region’s agricultural diversity and economic influence.”
The lawmakers are expecting to hear from farmers, ranchers, producers, agribusiness owners and other Oregonians, a press release from LBCC reported.
LBCC has made efforts to expand its support of agricultural education in recent years. With funding from a general obligation bond passed in 2022, LBCC plans to grow its agriculture footprint to include a multi-species livestock facility in Tangent and a veterinary technology partnership with Oregon State University.