Sen. Lincoln: “How Are We Going to Eat if We Don’t Support Agriculture?”

This weekend, Senator Blanche Lincoln did a presentation at the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show.  As a local, many of the faces in the audience were familiar and she comment that she was home in this area, and in agriculture.  As  head of the Senate agriculture committee, she was speaking to a standing room only crowd.

I shot video of the talk and had hoped that I could posted the full video of the 30 plus minutes, but YouTube wants me to stick to 10 minutes a shot… not sure any of you care to watch several short videos!  So here’s what I think gives you the highlights.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyHTg2SPiOg]

Of course, I’m also into immediate sharing so I tweeted the speech live.  (I know, with me tweeting, the video isn’t THAT stable…. hopefully it’s not too bad as I did have my monopod with me.) I tried to multi-task and think everything may have suffered, but it was worth a shot!  I tweeted her speech… And the tweets I sent are below (minus the #ginshow tag that I used on all of them, and with typos from that Blackberry corrected):

1. In the room with lots of farmers waiting for Sen Blanche Lincoln, chair of ag comm to arrive, will tweet her comments 2  #agchat
2. Good friend Allen Helms is going to introduce Lincoln. He’s a Cotton farmer! #thankafarmer
3. This is home she says. The area & agriculture! First AR & first woman to chair comm, very proud, seeing family & friends
4. She stands tall for agriculture & the Mid-South. Need viable ag, essential to our nation’s success
5. Lincoln says farmers should not have to apologize. How do we eat with out them doing the work? The stewards of our land, farmers
6. Budget to start with. It is a fight with every admin cause people don’t understand ag
7. Farmers need some security. Faces more variability than anyone. Farm bills are critical.
8. Compromise is needed but there still needs to be the ability for farmers to survive.
9. Trade is a critical point for ag. We need to get our economy back up. Exports are a likely way to improve
10. Lincoln- Need to get more trade with neighbors. 50yrs of embargo of Cuba is enough. Hurts Cuban people & US farmers
11. Disaster programs critical & DC politicians don’t understand it. She tries to explain.
12. There are delays in those programs & it is unacceptable to have people trying to plant without the help promised
13. Ag & small businesses need to have results delivered
14. Her dad was a great conservationist like other farmers. He cared for wildlife, souls etc. Imp to point that out
15. Believes we need to reduce dependence on foreign oil & carbon emissions. EPA should not be involved in the ag side
16. Ag does have a responsibility to look at green jobs, etc. Farmers are already doing that, create routinely.
17. She’s a hunter and wants that to be available for her children.
18. Mentions weed resistance and knows there is a lot of work to be done, USDA research could be helpful.
19. Has a lot of work to do in the ag committee. Wants to get input of production ag.
20. Still wait & see on 2008 farm bill. Looking at doing it for the intended outcomes

Sen. Lincoln chats with two of my friends after the speech