Courtney Calls for Policy Changes to Boost Local Meat and Dairy Products in Connecticut

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) questioned USDA's Chief Economist Joseph Glauber at the House Agriculture Committee’s Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit subcommittee hearing this week. Congressman Courtney addressed the rising demand for local meat and dairy products seen in Connecticut and supported by USDA market studies, and asked Mr. Glauber about the hurdles that small farms and processors in Connecticut face. “Has the USDA’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program made headway or do we require additional innovations along the supply chain, expansion of the local meat sector, broadening the consumer base, or some combination thereof to address processing shortfalls?” Courtney asked.

Click here to watch the video of Congressman Courtney’s exchange with USDA's Chief Economist Joseph Glauber.

In recent years, demand for “Connecticut Grown” products has risen. From the proliferation of over a hundred farmers’ markets, to an increase in farm to school programs, and a growth in producer to consumer operations, positive growth signals are abundant. The recent rise in demand also corresponds with a growth in production. Preliminary numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2012 Census of Agriculture has found that the overall number of farms in Connecticut increased by 21% in the last five years, from 4,916, to 5,977, and that there has been a 40 percent increase of farmers in the 25-34 year age bracket. This not only means more choices for Connecticut consumers, but it also means more of the money consumers spend remains in state.

Local food sales via direct-to-consumer marketing have more than doubled over the last decade. However, local sales of livestock products have not grown as rapidly as other food categories, despite apparent demand. As a strong supporter of “Connecticut Grown” products, Congressman Courtney has held an ongoing dialogue with local stakeholders and producers on how to further grow all aspects of the Connecticut agricultural economy. From producer roundtable discussions at Connecticut Farm Bureau and UConn, on-farm visits to livestock operations such as New Boston Beef inNorth Grosvenordale, and visits to processing operations such as New England Meat Packing LLC in Stafford Springs, Congressman Courtney has worked to understand and address hurdles to growth.

During the 2014 Farm Bill debate Congressman Courtney successfully included an amendment which directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a report on the impact of local and regional food systems on job creation and economic development, the level of participation in the Farmers’ Market and Local Food Promotion Program, the ability of local food systems to leverage private capital, and conduct surveys on the effectiveness of current programs designed to expand or facilitate local food systems.