Westmoreland, NH – On August 19, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) and USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini visited with local farmers in the Monadnock Region to discuss the impacts of the 2014 Farm Bill and other issues facing New Hampshire’s agriculture community. 

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome Administrator Dolcini to New Hampshire, and specifically to the Monadnock Region, one of our state’s true farming centers,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “To me, agriculture is about our entire community.  It is the livelihood of our neighbors, the ingredients that make our family recipes so special, the nourishment that keeps our children happy and healthy.  Agriculture is vital to the New Hampshire way of life. As an avid customer at my local farms, I am thrilled to continue to voice my support for beginner farmers, organic farming, and value added programs that keep our New Hampshire farms solvent through my work on the Agriculture Committee.”

“It was wonderful to join Congresswoman Kuster on today's New Hampshire Ag tour,” said Administrator Dolcini. “We met with some great farm families and I gained a better understanding of what it takes to farm in New England. I look forward to my next visit."

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 today’s visit to Windyhurst Farm in Westmoreland, 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 recent initiative she helped authorize to promote maple syrup industry research and sustainability. Kuster also discussed the bipartisan 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.

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