Davids Continues Farm Bill Listening Tour in Johnson County
OLATHE, KS – Today, Representative Sharice Davids continued her Farm Bill listening tour in Johnson County, touring a family-run vegetable farm and meeting with local agribusiness leaders. Her tour will continue at farms, ranches, and businesses across the Third District as Davids prepares to consider the 2023 Farm Bill through her position on the House Agriculture Committee. This package of legislation is typically renewed every five years and determines federal agriculture and nutrition policy impacting Kansas families both urban and rural.
"Today, I hit the road once again, visiting farms and businesses on my listening tour to make sure I'm prepared for the upcoming Farm Bill discussion in Congress," said Davids. "The Kansas City region has an incredibly strong agribusiness sector that contributes to our local economy and feeds the rest of the country. I'm looking forward to continuing my tour later this week to further understand the priorities of folks across our community."
Davids hosted a roundtable conversation with representatives from the Kansas City Agricultural Business Council and local farmers at the Kansas State University Johnson County Extension Office. They discussed key topics in this year's farm bill, including protecting crop insurance policies that farmers rely on and supporting Kansas agribusinesses working at all levels of our supply chain. She then toured Pat & Rachel's Gardens, a family-run organic vegetable farm in Olathe.
"We were excited to have Representative Davids visit the Olathe Horticulture Center to learn from ag businesses in the area," said Dr. Cary Rivard, Professor/Extension Specialist, Director of the K-State Olathe Horticulture Research and Extension Center. "Like much of the U.S., this region of Kansas faces all types of challenges in agriculture from climate change to rapid urbanization, and it's important to have everyone at the table to address food security for our communities."
Pat & Rachel's Gardens, which received federal funding to expand their operation of selling canned, frozen, and freeze-dried vegetables, is one of the only certified organic processing facilities in the Kansas City area. As a member of the Kansas City Food Hub, the multi-generational farm supplies organic produce to the Overland Park and Brookside farmer's markets, the Community Mercantile in Lawrence, KS, and local restaurants and school cafeterias. With decades of farming experience, Pat & Rachel's Gardens was named to honor two of the family matriarch's children who passed away in 2008 and 2013.
"We grow our own vegetables and fruits, and we also make salsas, soups, pickles, and jams. From the last Farm Bill, we benefited with a value added producer grant that allowed us to match funds with the government and expand our kitchen. It helped us be more efficient and lower our prices per unit, and we're grateful for that." said James Leek, owner of Pat & Rachel's Gardens.
As part of her Farm Bill listening tour, Davids previously visited a poultry and meat farm in Anderson County, a co-op in Franklin County, and a no-till farm in Miami County. Last year, Davids hosted U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretaries Jennifer Lester Moffitt and Xochitl Torres Small for visits to the Third District to learn about the area's meatpacking and dairy industries, respectively. She was also named a Friend of the Farm Bureau by the Kansas Farm Bureau in 2022.