Tag: Agriculture

Merkley Unveils Ag Bill with Tens of Millions of Dollars in Key Investments, Policy Guidance for Wide Variety of Oregon Agriculture Priorities

November 10, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—who serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture—today announced that he has won support in the Senate agricultural spending bill for a wide variety of agriculture, housing, food assistance, and rural business priorities that will benefit Oregon’s farms and

Merkley, Wyden Announce $3.2 Million in Federal Investments to Help Agricultural Producers in Oregon Develop, Market New Innovations

November 5, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development is allocating $3.2 million among 15 agricultural producers in Oregon, helping businesses develop and market new products. “Agricultural innovation has long played an essential role to the vitality

Merkley, Wyden Announce $3.5 Million in Grants to Support Pollinator Research

July 31, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will award $3.5 million in federal funding to support ten Pollinator Health Research grants across the nation. One of those grants, for $454,939,

Wyden, Merkley Press Feds to Improve Hemp Farming Rules

July 29, 2020

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today asked federal officials to change costly and confusing rules for farmers in Oregon and nationwide that cover the growing and testing of hemp. “We fear that without these changes, our past work and efforts to support hemp farmers and the industry

Merkley, Colleagues Investigate How the Largest Food Processors and Farm Operators Are Protecting Workers from COVID-19 Outbreaks

July 6, 2020

Washington, DC – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), sent letters to the largest food and beverage processors and farm operators requesting information on how they are protecting their workers and the food supply chain from potential outbreaks of the coronavirus

Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $200,000 in Farm to School Grants for Oregon

June 30, 2020

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that Oregon will receive nearly $200,000 in Farm to School grants to support partnerships between local farms and school districts. The funding will allow farms to supply schools with local produce, support hands-on agricultural education, and promote

Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Urgently-Needed Legislation to Help Hard-Hit Agricultural Workers Amid Pandemic

June 23, 2020

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today is leading the introduction of the Frontline At-Risk Manual (FARM) Laborers Protection Act, groundbreaking legislation that establishes critical protections, including 10 days of paid leave and hazard pay, for America’s agricultural workers. He was joined by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal

Merkley Calls on USDA to Quickly Deliver Food and Farm Assistance Appropriated by Congress

May 18, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), teamed up with Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), to press USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to increase the agency’s efforts to speed

Merkley Demands Small Business Administration Provide Much-Needed Assistance to America’s Farmers, Agricultural Producers

May 1, 2020

WASHINGTON, DC – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today pressed Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza to provide urgent assistance to help America’s farmers and agricultural producers navigate the economic abyss caused by the coronavirus. Despite the fact that Congress increased funds for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)

Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Administration to Ensure Continuity of Food Supply by Supporting Farmers During Coronavirus Pandemic

April 6, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with a bipartisan group of 30 of their Senate colleagues, have sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to urge the administration to provide urgent relief to America’s farmers during the coronavirus crisis. Agricultural businesses are critical