Those of us who count on the productivity of the soil for our livelihood could use some help. We want to implement practices that make our soil healthier and stave off some of the effects of the severe weather we have been having. We know that this will increase profitability by making the soil more resilient in the face of erratic rainfall and extreme temperatures, and better able to support our crops We choose the best soil conservation practices we can afford.
But that’s the catch. Many of these healthy soil practices are out of reach financially for farmers, especially those with smaller operations. Farming is already capital intensive and we often don’t have enough cash left over to do what we know is right.
A couple of weeks ago our congresswoman, Abigail Spanberger, came to Louisa County to discuss this issue. She visited a farm owned by Dustin Madison, just north of the Town of Louisa. While there, she announced a new bill to help farmers use more conservation practices. The Healthy Soil, Resilient Farmers Act of 2020 aims to ensure that FSA loans are available to all farmers who want to do what we know is the right thing.
Her opponent, Nick Freitas, courts the support of the Farm Bureau. I’m wondering what he may have actually done in his current position to deserve that. Nick talks ideology, while Abigail is out here working for us. It looks to me like Abigail is the one walking the walk. A member of the House Agriculture Committee, she is using her position to help Louisa’s farmers. I’m voting for Abigail again in November, so she can continue her good supportive work for us.
Pam Dawling
Printed previously in The Central Virginian and reprinted here with the permission of the author.
