I'm not a cynic. A skeptic, yes; a cynic — no. But there are days when I watch the Congress gyrate about health care legislation; members stub their toes on budget resolutions; and frankly, keep spinning their wheels. And when both houses are controlled by one party, my cynicism rises. Do I think we'll get a farm bill? Well the House Ag Chairman — Mike Conaway, R-Texas — is pretty convinced, and said so last winter during Commodity Classic.

He and his Senate counterparts – who include both Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. — are in favor of moving things ahead. There have been plenty of farm bill hearings, which we've reported on at our website (WesternFarmerStockman.com). Most of the testimony is about preserving crop insurance, the conservation programs, fixing the dairy program and getting the cotton program right.

That's all well and good, but perhaps we should also testify in favor of the elephant in the room — SNAP. That Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is a big part of the overall farm bill. It's why they want to rename it the food bill (bad idea — as already stated in this column in July); but we as farmers and agriculturists should embrace SNAP and support its aims.

When Harvey hit Houston with a 500-year flood, many residents went on SNAP for the short term; because the program was available, and many folks frankly have no jobs because the places of businesses where they worked were shuttered. This program was there to help.

SNAP helps provide basic nutrition across a wide range of the country, often in pockets — even in rural America, where food deserts have appeared as smaller groceries have dried up. In urban areas, there are new stores and cooperatives going in that help solve the food desert issue, and some of the help there comes from the fact that those people can buy their food with the help of SNAP.

Here's an idea
Farmers should support SNAP: not join some chorus of voices railing about anecdotal evidence of fraud, or complain about what SNAP recipients buy. That's for USDA to sort out. If farmers step up and are vocal about their support for this nutrition program, as well as those other programs designed to help the disadvantaged, you gain an ally in the greater population.

People see the importance of SNAP for families who can't cover their costs. Rising health care costs combined with higher rents are hurting the cost of living for many families; SNAP eases some of that pain. So perhaps linking arms with the SNAP supporters will help bring together a farm bill on time.

It sounds like an outlandish idea, but often the communication I see is about the key ag programs only; perhaps your groups are pushing for support of SNAP. If so, that's great. If farmers banded together to support this part of the farm bill, would it bring support from that side for continuation of the farm programs producers need?

You can talk all you want about the savings of crop insurance versus disaster program support. It doesn't help consumers who see farmers as "wealthy landowners." But if farmers support a program dear to others — SNAP — that could change some opinions.

It's worth a shot.