LIMA, OHIO (WLIO) - The Farm Bill has been extended again until September of this year, and agencies reliant on its funding are rallying to get it passed.
The West Ohio Food Bank will send three staff members, including Executive Director Tommie Harner, to Capitol Hill next Wednesday as part of a "Fly-In Day" sponsored by Feeding America, the national organization with which WOFB is affiliated. They hope to meet with Ohio delegates representing the food bank's 11-county service area to discuss the bill's importance and the people it impacts.
"The Farm Bill has a lot to do with the USDA, the Department of Agriculture," said Jason Aldrich, Communications and PR manager for WOFB. "A lot of our programs at the West Ohio Food Bank rely on the U.S. Department of Agriculture, specifically our Senior Box program, which is very popular. Seniors have the opportunity, if they're 60 or older, to apply to receive one food box a month. And again, that's all provided by the USDA. So if the funding doesn’t stay in place, that puts us in a real pinch to keep that program running as strong as it is."
Aldrich said they will bring materials to leave with lawmakers, explaining the services the West Ohio Food Bank provides and emphasizing the importance of supporting a strong Farm Bill.
