SALEM — U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas met May 3 with Oregon state officials and agriculture industry leaders in Salem to discuss their priorities for the new farm bill, including federal crop insurance and disaster assistance.

The first-term Democrat is one of two Willamette Valley representatives — along with fellow freshman Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a Republican — appointed to the House Agriculture Committee, which is crafting the 2023 Farm Bill.

The farm bill was last renewed in 2018 and will expire Sept. 30.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the 2023 bill could be the most expensive on record, costing about $709 billion over the next five years.

Salinas hosted a trio of 90-minute roundtable discussions at Chemeketa Community College to hear feedback on several farm bill titles. The first was focused on horticulture and crop insurance, the second was dedicated to conservation and the third wrapped up with forestry.

Participants emphasized the need for flexibility in farm bill programs to account for Oregon’s diverse agricultural practices and specialty crops.

They also urged Congress to maintain or increase funding for research to address new pests, diseases and other challenges unique to the region.

Jonathan Sandau, assistant director for the Oregon Department of Agriculture, highlighted the importance of specialty crop block grants for producers. For example, he cited the robotics team at Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, which received a grant in 2017 to develop a mechanical broccoli harvester, called the “BroccoliBot.”

Yet the level of funding is still short of demand, Sandau said. During the last fiscal year, ODA received $1.7 million for specialty crop block grants, compared to $3.7 million in requests.

“They’re critical for our industries, both in the short-term and long-term,” Sandau said.

The conversation then shifted to a lack of crop insurance policies available through the USDA’s Risk Management Agency for specialty crop growers and diversified farms.

Amanda Staehly, president-elect of the Oregon Association of Nurseries, said whole-farm insurance plans don’t work well for nurseries that grow a multitude of plants. When natural disasters such as extreme heat or ice storms happen, certain products may be destroyed while others are unaffected.

Roger Beyer, executive director of the Oregon Seed Council, said grass seed farmers are similarly affected because many also grow other specialty crops, such as blueberries.

“We’re very diversified, so it makes the application process very difficult for them,” Beyer said.

Gaps also exist for specialty crop producers in other farm safety net programs, officials said.

Gail Greenman, state executive director for the Farm Service Agency in Oregon, estimated that 72% of program funding for the 2021 fiscal year went to disaster assistance. That year brought a major ice storm to the Willamette Valley in February, followed by a historic heat wave in June.

“That really opened our eyes,” Greenman said.

Hazelnut farms were especially hard-hit by the ice, breaking the branches of older trees and resulting in crop losses. Nearly all U.S. hazelnuts are grown in Oregon.

But Colleen Nihen, executive director of the Oregon Hazelnut Industry, said growers were mostly excluded from the USDA’s Tree Assistance Program since the trees weren’t killed. She said she did not know of a single hazelnut farmer who was compensated by TAP.

Staci Simonich, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University, talked about the importance of having stable funding for research in the next farm bill.

She advocated for protecting the Hatch Act, which funds research programs at state agricultural experiment stations. OSU has 14 such stations across Oregon, where scientists are constantly evaluating how farmers can better manage pests and diseases, as well as tackling new emerging problems such as wildfire smoke taint in winegrapes.

Mike Dill, who manages vendor, customer and facility compliance for Organically Grown Co., said more research is also needed to help organic farmers maximize their potential.

“Organic is a pretty big deal in Oregon and it continues to increase, but we’re still not getting that proportionate level of funding for research,” he said.

These are the types of issues that Salinas said she wanted to learn more about, so she can better ensure the farm bill reflects Oregon farms.

“I want to help deliver for you, and all the good work you do,” she said.

Oregon’s ag committee caucus: Reps. Salinas and Chavez-DeRemer talk farm bill