In keeping with a fine tradition of bringing outstanding farm state lawmakers to the Southern Peanut Growers Conference, this year we were honored to hear from Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas, a member of the House Agriculture Committee and a former farm broadcaster.

“In fact, we started a network back in ’06 and it has grown to about 53-54 stations in a five state area,” said Crawford, who was also a good friend of the late, great Stewart Doan from the great state of Arkansas.

Crawford talked with peanut growers about the struggles in getting a farm bill finally passed this year and his belief that it should be called the USDA Re-Authorization Bill, like other agencies like the Department of Defense, for example. “This would, I think, help us to communicate more efficiently just exactly what we’re doing,” he said. “It’s semantics is what it is, because the reality is that 80% of this authorization is nutrition.”

Crawford also discussed his concerns with the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, particularly its ambiguity. “The ‘significant nexus’ being utilized as their determining factor of whether a body of water is going to be regulated,” said Crawford, noting that is a subjective determination and it’s not clear who will make that determination.

Hear my interview with Rep. Crawford and his address below and you can also watch the video of our interview below:

2014 SPGC photo album