June 16, 2017

Duckworth Tours ISU Farm, Calls on President Trump to Invest in Rural America

 

[LEXINGTON, IL] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) visited the Illinois State University Farm to discuss the impact the Trump Budget would have on rural development and agriculture. The budget makes over $231 billion in cuts to critical USDA and Farm Bill programs, which Americans in rural communities rely on to improve access to clean drinking water, promote public safety and support their children. It would also close the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) that supports more than 200 jobs in Peoria, eliminate the Rural Economic Development Program that helps rural businesses create jobs, reduce SNAP assistance for working families by more than 25 percent and make crop insurance more expensive for Illinois farmers.

"The work of farmers like those I spoke with today at the ISU farm is fundamental to the strength of our state and our nation," Duckworth said. "We should not be turning our backs on Illinois farmers or slashing investments that Americans living rural communities rely on for water infrastructure, good-paying jobs, quality transportation and educational opportunities."

The farm at Illinois State University spans 610 acres and provides students at Illinois State University with hands-on experience cultivating corn, soybeans and alfalfa and tending to swine, beef and sheep. It is a crucial step in the education of agricultural and agribusiness-focused students. The farm has also made tremendous strides in sustainability. Nearly all manure is now composted and made accessible to the public for their own agricultural or gardening purposes.