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in South Dakota.
• "It's because of that partnership and relationship we have with the farmers and ranchers in the state of South Dakota; the people who are working every day to feed not only the hungry people of South Dakota but the people of the world," Gassen said. "We too believe and know the importance of passing a farm bill, especially the nutrition portion. The fact that this group was willing to put the nutrition title as part of their five main points to support speaks volumes about where their hearts are, not only in the work they do every day, but in the people they're trying to help support."
• Gassen said as much as 50 percent of the recipients of nutrition assistance in America are children, and another 10 to 20 percent are older citizens.
• "We understand that everyone needs to play their part, but we also want the representatives in Washington, D.C., to understand that we're dealing with a segment of the population that many of whom cannot do anything about the situation that they're in."
• Mike Stephenson with Pheasants Forever discussed the importance of conservation provisions in the farm bill and the impact it has had over the years on wildlife production.
• "We understand that agriculture and conservation are critical in our state, especially for our economy," he said. "As we have more acres coming out (of conservation programs) we're seeing less wildlife habitat available. We need a farm bill, and we need to get it done. It doesn't matter if you're a hunter or a fisherman, a grower, a feeder or an eater, everyone is involved in this."
• A question many people not familiar with the details of the farm bill have is why nutrition programs are coupled with farm programs in the legislation. Sen. Johnson explained that the farm bill needs to include both nutrition and farm programs because of the political reality of fewer people in rural America.
• "Because there are fewer and fewer planters and growers in the United States and there are more people who are urban oriented and they don't understand and they don't support the farm bill as a standalone bill," Johnson said. "So for practical reasons we united those two together and it makes all the sense in the world, or else we would have no chance at a farm bill."