Photo from Congressman Glenn Thompson Congressman Glenn Thompson and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack talked agriculture and rural policy earlier this month at Hamilton College in New York. Thompson, chair of the Agriculture Committee, is at the heart of the ongoing debate over the nation’s next Farm Bill.

The process of drafting a new Farm Bill has taken Congressman Glenn Thompson all across the country.

That ongoing debate continued earlier this month at Hamilton College when Thompson joined Secretary of Agriculture – and Hamilton alum – Tom Vilsack for an event focused on agriculture and rural policy.

“Together we spoke with students about the importance of bipartisanship and working collaboratively to develop a successful Farm Bill,” Thompson said in his newsletter.

“The Farm Bill impacts the lives of every American and people around the world in immeasurable ways,” he added. “It provides our farm families with the necessary tools so they can provide us with food, firewood, building materials, and energy resources.”

The current iteration of the Farm Bill expires at the end of the month, though it appears that Congress won’t meet that date and an extension will be necessary.

According to an article posted by Hamilton College, both Thompson and Vilsack expressed that agriculture issues continue to be a bipartisan space.

During that event, Vilsack said that some of the issues slowing the process include eligibility for the SNAP program and adjustments to reference prices for crops.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the farm bill “is an omnibus, multiyear law that sets the stage for the nation’s food and farm systems.

“It includes multiple titles, or sections, that intersect policy areas including conservation, rural energy development, nutrition assistance and aid to new and beginning farmers and ranchers.”

Per the Congressional Research Service, that bill spans multiple years and “governs an array of agricultural and food programs. It provides an opportunity for policymakers to comprehensively and periodically address agricultural and food issues.”

The bill, per the CRS, typically focuses on “farm commodity program support for a handful of staple commodities- corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, peanuts, dairy, and sugar.”