North Haverhill, NH – This afternoon, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) held a town hall forum on agriculture issues at the Grafton County Farm in North Haverhill. The town hall gave local members of the agricultural community a chance to share their thoughts, concerns, and questions regarding their industry with the Congresswoman.

“As a Member of the House Agriculture Committee, I’m committed to fighting for the success of our small family farms and every Granite Stater working in the agriculture industry,” said Congresswoman Annie Kuster. “This afternoon’s town hall provided me with a great opportunity to hear directly from local residents about the programs that are and aren’t working for them, and ways Congress can continue to help our state agriculture industry grow and create more jobs for our workers. I look forward to taking the participants’ thoughts back to Washington, where I’ll continue to fight for their best interests.”

A member of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, Kuster has long fought for federal measures that support small, family farms like those located throughout New Hampshire. During this afternoon’s town hall, Kuster highlighted some of the initiatives she’s pushing for on the federal level to help this growing sector thrive, like the Acer Access and Development Program, a new initiative she helped authorize to promote maple syrup industry research and sustainability. Kuster also discussed the new Farm Bill she helped pass into law during her first term, which includes several provisions she championed, including support for organic research, regulatory certainty for family farms and the forest products industry, funding for wildlife habitat conservation, and increased investment in food banks.

During the town hall, Kuster heard from audience members about their thoughts on how Congress can best support and expand the success of local Granite State farmers, foresters, and other members of the agriculture community. She was joined by expert panelists who provided important resources for area residents, including representatives from the USDA Farm Service Agency, National Resource Conservation Service, and Rural Development, and the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food.

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