• Just days ago, the House passed the Farm Bill, moving it over the line and into Senate territory, where passage is expected soon.
• It has been a privilege to serve as South Dakota's voice throughout the negotiations as a member of the Conference Committee.  As is true in any negotiation, we didn't get everything we wanted, but progress was made on many programs important to South Dakotans.
• Winter Storm Atlas brought the urgency of passing the Farm Bill to the forefront of the debate in Congress.  I'm proud the final bill includes a provision I helped author to provide relief.
• The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association writes that it is "a strong livestock disaster program that will support our family ranches who are still rebuilding after the terrible blizzard in October."
• This livestock disaster program will be retroactive for 2012 and 2013, offering support to those hit by the blizzard as well as earlier droughts. Once the President signs the bill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will work to implement the program, at which time producers will get a better idea of when and how they can begin applying for relief.
• For crop producers, the South Dakota Soybean Association writes that the legislation "establishes practical risk management programs."  More specifically, the bill maintains a strong crop insurance program, giving farmers a critical safety net.  That safety net helps maintain America's safe and reliable food supply, which all of us will benefit from at the grocery store.
• About 15 percent of the Farm Bill involves traditional farm programs.  The other 85 percent involves nutrition, conservation, forestry, research and more.
• The Black Hills currently faces a small foe that leaves a big trail: the Pine Beetle.  The Farm Bill gives the Forest Service more tools, including a provision I authored that allows them to put up to 3,000 acres of forestland on a fast track through the regulatory process.  That means we can get help more quickly to highly infested areas and sections more prone to forest fires.  This was something U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell discussed when I hosted him in the Black Hills last November.
• The Farm Bill also maintains the Sun Grant Initiative, which has created a net

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