Sustaining a Resilient Farm Economy
Michael believes a resilient agricultural sector is vital to a strong, thriving economy. This is certainly true in Colorado, where a proud farming and ranching tradition generates more than $45 billion in annual economic output. As a longstanding member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and as chair of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources, Michael prioritizes bringing the diverse voices of Colorado and the American West to the debate in Washington.
Michael has helped pass two bipartisan Farm Bills and is working toward passing the next Farm Bill. To help write the Farm Bill, Michael relies on input from dozens of listening sessions across the state to identify Colorado’s priorities. As a result of Coloradans’s input, the 2014 Farm Bill strengthened crop insurance, improved disaster assistance, streamlined conservation programs, and provided new tools for the U.S. Forest Service to increase wildfire mitigation and forest restoration.
Four years later, Michael worked hard to ensure the 2018 Farm Bill placed a greater emphasis on Western lands, water, and wildlife. He fought to increase funding for agricultural conservation easements so Western landowners could pass their farm or ranch to their children and grandchildren, expand voluntary access for sportsmen, and incorporate programs to improve soil health, enhance farm resilience, and increase carbon sequestration. As Congress writes the next Farm Bill, Michael will continue to listen to Coloradans to build on the progress of previous Farm Bills and ensure that farmers, ranchers, and rural communities have a voice in Washington.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, Michael works to preserve and expand access to international export markets for Colorado’s agricultural products. Michael recognizes that the strength of our farm economy at home depends in part on increasing access to markets abroad, and he is committed to bolstering Colorado’s farm economy and providing opportunities for the next generation of farmers and ranchers to thrive.