Transcripts For CSPAN Hearing On Sustainable Agriculture Practices 20240708

Some ways so different. Mr. Costa thats our land grant universities, our agricultural schools like yours that have played an Important Role historically in terms of research that has allowed american agriculture over 100 years to really achieve levels of quality and production and best Management Practices that without that academic involvement i dont think would have been possible. Keep up the good work. Our next witness today is a person, her family, rosy burroughs with the family farms in california. They are a marketing flagship or organic raised added value products produced by the Family Enterprises include almonds, beef, chicken, berries, eggs, sheep, olive oil, and turkeys. Their ranching efforts are like california, diverse and we are very proud of their efforts. Please, you have five minutes to present to the committee. Looking forward to hearing your comments. Ms. Burroughs good morning. Subcommittee chairman costa. Ranking member johnson. Members of the subcommittee. Members of the full committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you about my familys farms and our experiences farming with regenerative practices. My husband and i farm with our children and their families in the rolling foothills of the San Joaquin Valley in california and northern Merced County and bow zahn disa oregon. We are bonanza oregon. We are carrying on the legacy which spans over a century. And over the last 20 years we have formed partnerships with our children. Thank you for mentioning all of our products under the burroughs family farms marketing flagship. Our nations greatest resource is the rancher and farmer families who are the stewards of our grass lands and farmlands and devoted to producing our countrys food and fiber. Our future survival depends on how we handle Climate Change antiextreme weather patterns of drought and the extreme weather paterns of grout and devastating storms. It is extremely important that u. S. Agriculture responds to these problems when adopting regenerative agriculture practices. As we started our farming ranching journey as conventional farmers, we didnt know what we didnt know. And we were part of the problem. Around 40 years ago we discovered the holistic approach to ranching and farming and 20 years ago our path to oro begannic ranching and farming using regenerative practices. We take a moment to explain regenerative agriculture. It is a system of farming principles and practices that seek to regenerate and enhance the entire ecosystem of our farms, our ranches by concentrating on Building Soil Health which increases soil biodiversity and organic matter. Leading to more resilient soils that can better withstand Climate Change impacts like flooding and drought. Regenerative practices help us fight the climate crisis, by pulling carbon from the atmosphere and see quester sequestering it in the ground. Healthy soils lead to strong yield and nutrient dense rich crops. To do this on our farms we are using these practices to build soil health, no kill or minimum kill, planting cover crops, keeping the soil covered with the diversity of plants for as long as possible, and we have integrated animal grazing on our ranch lands, irrigated pastures, and orchards when possible. We use come post and manure for our facility. Research conducted at cal state east bay and a comparative study including our regenerative Almond Orchard showed that they can have a 30 higher soil organic matter significantly greater Carbon Sequestration and soil health. Sibltion times six times higher water infiltration rates. Six times higher insect biomass, and measurably greater soil mikroabial activity and sim microbial activity and similar yield. This will work to ensuring our farmers and ranchers continue their work by being sustainable and viable while protecting our environment. We are very proud to be part of the Regenerative Agriculture Movement and gaining momentum. But we need more support to continue forward in research and education. I am here today to implore this committee to support funding in the new farm bill for regenerative agriculture practices. In closing, i have listed more information with links in my written testimony. We are hosting a farm field day on february 17, and id really like you to take special attention to the two links for the center for regenerative agriculture and resiliencies thames at csu chico and the foundation both excellent resources on Current Research and education. Thank you for the opportunity to testify and share my experiences about our familys farms. And i hope and pray you will take the information in this hearing to support had the sustainability of the systems. Mr. Costa we thank you for your firsthand experience in trying to ensure that your farming operations are sustainable as they possibly can be and the experiences you have had to deal with, you and your family, in making those changes and adjustments. We look forward to an opportunity to question you. On your february 17 farm day, please give my office the information. I dont know that its possible that i could be there, but if it is, i would certainly like to see it firsthand. Our next witness is an individual who i have known for a number of years who farms in my area. His family has been active for generations. He operates medeiros hostings in california. Also a mevment executive committee of the milk Producers Federation. And he is now working on, i think, the third or fourth generation in your family to maintain that involvement. You dont farm the way your father did nor your grandfather. Nor do i. We look forward to your comments. Please begin. Mr. Medeiros thank you. Good morning, chairman costa, Ranking Member johnson and members of the subcommittee. I thank you for the opportunity to testify today and share the dairy industrys perspective. I have been dairying since 1918 on a farm started by my parents. Today my wife and i operate the whole steens, a 1600 cow dairy operation in california. With our two sons. Im honored to serve as chairman of the western area council for Dairy Farmers of america, the leading dairy could he op and milk marketing could he opt in the u. S. Im testifying on behalf of the National Milk producers administration. I serve on the executive committee. U. S. Dairy farmers are environmental stew wampletdz stewards. We ensure future generations carry on the important work of feedsle feeding the u. S. And world. We have adopted agricultural practices and technology that is have evolved over time. As a testament to the dairys endeavors by a 2007 producing a gallon of milk, 65 less water with 63 smaller Carbon Footprint than in 1944. More recently, Research Shows that producing a gallon of milk in 2017 requires 30 less water, 21 less land, 19 smaller Carbon Footprint, and 20 less manure than in 2007. As the cooperative, we are always working to identify new innovative ways to conserve resources and committed to working to a 30 reduction in emissions across the cooperative by 2030. From a 2018 baseline. In 2009, u. S. Dairy industry launched a National Dairy farm program to demonstrate that the u. S. Dairy farmers are committed to producing the best milk with integrity. The farm programs Environmental Stewardship provides a comprehensive climate greenhouse emissions on dairy farms to improve their footprint. Today organizations representing 99 of u. S. Milk volume participate in the program. Overall with almost 80 of the milk volume participating in the environmental steward portion. Farmers are always striving to produce more with less. Focused on continuous improvements in that area as part of the commitment to provide the worlds responsibly reduced dairy foods. In 2020, the u. S. Dairy sector set aggressive new environmental sustainability goals to become greenhouse neutral or better. Improve water quality, optimize water usage by 2050. My cooperative is determined to do its part in the dairy industry in achieving its goals. To do this well need to identify technological and other advancements to accelerate improvements. National milk and the industrys partners have mobilized to Net Zero Initiative to do just that. However sustained low milk prices have created many challenges for recent dairy producers. Dairy farmers are eager for pol siment provments that unlock additional income streams. Policy improvements that unlock additional income streams. Leadership, the dairy Industry Needs your support. We recommend two broad areas. Usda conservation programs must be instrumental in sustainable goals. Emissions account for roughly 1 3 of dairy farm Greenhouse Gases. For the footprint of our key area of opportunity for progress and we support increasing Program Funding to keep and achieve the goals and grateful to the members of both parties that have put forth legislation to bolster conservation programs. National milk supports adopt innovative technology, practices. Dairy farmers see great value in adopting anna robic die jesters but lacks sustainable markets for this Energy Produced on farm and limited their economical viability. Similar new animal feed additives significantly reduce emissions but current u. S. Policy hinders timely approval and puts u. S. Farmers at a competitive disadvantage. To solve these problems we support creating an incentive tax credit to cover upfront cost of die jesters and en digesters. Before i close, i want to emphasize how critical sustainability is to remaining at competitive global supplier. More than 16 of u. S. Milk production is export. The u. S. Dairy sector is well positioned to meet environmental demands of consumers worldwide. Our farmers have the lowest Greenhouse Gas footprint per gallon of milk compared to other suppliers around the world. Our competitors are making investments, woking on positions their way of farming as more sustainable. This type of support i have outlined today is needed to help us counter there. In conclusion i want to note that the agriculture industry has been focused on sustainability for many generations. We might have thought different our goals have always been leave the resources to our farms better for our children. Your participation can help fill these policy gaps and make even further strides. Thank you for the opportunity to represent the dairy industry. I look forward to your questions. Mr. Costa thank you, melvin. And your family and comments. We look forward to the opportunity to ask you some questions and get better insight op challenges you are facing. Our next witness is the] ett, they have ranch, lands where they graze cattle private lands owned by the family. They also have federal allotments by the federal government. They manage and partnership with federal agencies. They have had a long history and been involved with the national cattlemans board and the Idaho Cattle Association and have a long track record of experience and dealing with the challenges of the cattle industry. At this time id like to recognize kim brackett for your comments and testimony. We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Ms. Brackett thank you, chairman costa, an Ranking Member johnson, members of the subcommittee for inviting me to testify today. My name is kim brackett. Together with my husband and children we manage ranches which is a cow cavalier operation on the idahonevada border. The lands we graze our cattle are private lands owned by my family, and federal allotment owned by the federal government and managed in partnership with federal agencies. As chairman of the five year Strategy Plan task force, can i tell you we have a key industry objective to intensify efforts in reaching improving, and communicating u. S. Beef industry sustainability. Im very happy to be here today to talk with you about that work. Collectively Cattle Producers in the United States manage livestock on approximately 815 million acres. Thats nearly one third of our nations continental landmass. In addition to providing track for our cattle, pastures and rang land provide important echo Systems Services see questering sashon in the soil, naturally filtering water, and improving wildlife and habitat. The beef cattle industry has a great sustainability story. This is proven by generations of successful production. According to the u. S. Environmental protection agency, direct emission from these cattle only represent 2 of all Greenhouse Gas emissions. Not only are these cattle not significant contributors to the full emissions profile, but cattle and Cattle Producers help to avoid other kinds of emissions like those from catastrophic wildfire. It makes land more drought resilient. Cattle ranchers are the original protectors of biodiversity. My family and our ranch are no exception. One of the examples of this is that for us to get Drinking Water to our cattle, we have an underground Pipeline System that starts at the head of the mountains and runs 70 miles down that mountain across the desert. Our Pipeline System is a prime example of the value of a holistic systems based approach to managing our ranch. That pipeline provides water for our cattle, but it also brings Drinking Water to wildlife and bird on our ranch lands. Range lands. By expanding this Pipeline System over the years, we have increased wildlife and bird habitat thus increasing biodiversity. Another example of a sustainable practice on our ranch is targeting grazing. When cattle are allowed to graze at the right time of year, it will reduce Seed Production and longterm spread of invasive annual grasses that can be fueled from massive wildfires. Preserving these large unbroken landscapes is critical for environmental health. When ranchers are regulated out of business, these lands are often divided and sold in small acre parcels, greatly impeding wildlife migratory habitat. Our industry came together last year to develop longterm sustainability goals. Id like to share those with you. Our industry has committed to, one, demonstrate the climate neutrality of u. S. Combatle production by 2040. Two, create and enhance opportunities that result in a quantifiable increase and produce profitability and economic sustainability. Three, enhance trust in Cattle Producers as responsible stewards of their animal and resources by expanding Educational Opportunities in animal care and programs to further improve animal wellbeing. And four, to continuously improve our industrys work force safety and wellbeing. Our goal to embrace the idea that sustainability is a three legged stool. Cattle operations and our industry must be environmentally sensitive, economically viable, and socially responsible in order to stay in business. Every day our industry loses vital grasslands to development for other nonagricultural uses. It is of the utmost importance that we preserve our Legacy Carbon sinks across this contory, especially our grazing lands. By creating private market value for ecosystem services, like wildlife habitat, water filtration, and Carbon Sequestration, we can ensure that grassland managers are being compensated for all the services they provide. Through the production and conservation. Congress also has an Important Role to play here by ensuring that ranches can effectively be passed to the next generation and by working to protect Cattle Producers from unaffordable Regulatory Burdens. Combating Regulatory Burden is necessary to maskize our industrys potential to reduce emissions. Our family remains committed to environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable for generations to come. Thank you. Mr. Costa thank you very much for your comments. I think your illustration strayings of illustration of how you have been able to manage your own familys livestock operation in a responsible way and certainly your recommendations are well taken. I failed to note for members of the subcommittee and for our witnesses that we are being televised this morning today on cspan. You can certainly let your constituents back home and those family members can see this being televised live throughout the country. Our next witness we have is an individual who in part closes the loop in our efforts to talk about the entirety of how we produce food as i said throughout the country on a regional basis that ultimately gets to americas dinner table. Clearly as i said food is a National Security issue. I get frustrated on occasion that sometimes too Many Americans think that their food comes from their Grocery Store or their favorite restaurant. Not that thats bad. We obviously get our food from multiple sources. Its important that we know ultimately the challenge of producing that food to our familys dinner table or favorite restaurant, which i think is a good lead for our next wednesday. Mr. Easterny meier, he chairs the u. S. Round table for sustainable poultry and eggs and director of Quality Systems for u. S. Supply chain. Part of mcdonds usa mcdonalds usa chicago operations and a person that i think can provide some meaningful testimony. We all deserve a break today. Mr. Meier if you can provide us with that effort we certainly would like to get your insight on where you see the challenges facing putting making that food available to the american consumer. You may begin your testimony. Mr. Meier thank you, chairman costa. Hello my name is ernie meier. Im the current chair of the u. S. Round table for sustainable poultry and eggs. Which ill refer as the round table or usrspe Going Forward. As a multistakeholder, independent, and Nonprofit Organization the round table was put together to represent the entire supply chain of u. S. Poultry and egg industries. We are grateful for the invitation to speak with the subcommittee and share what we have learned facing the same issues you are as a subcommittee and as representatives. We currently have fulltime membership commitments from almost 100 farms, organizations, and individuals. With national and International Business reach that include more than 500 individual experts. They range across all disciplines of our business from those that directly care for birds to Companies Like mcdonalds, offering poultry and egg products to our end customers. Each of these individuals is plugged into the round table and working on our shared goal to continuously improve the sustainability of u. S. Poultry and eggs supply chains. We leave that the most successful sustainable tools are created by both those implementing them and those impacted by them. Every member has an equal vote in our structure to allow optimal collaboration. Much of our work is opened to public input. We are driven by a Diverse Group with varying resources and sizes. For more than three years farmers, integrators, researchers, Grocery Stores, Animal Health companies, environmental groups, equipment companies, and restaurant chains have actively been working to build the connections and tools we need to help meet modern food system challenges. And continuously improve our sustainability. Our approach to sustainability is pragmatic and holistic. We work to provide solutions environmentally sound, socially responsible, and economically viecial. Whats unique about the round table is that we are a community and catalyst for progress. We are encouraging improvement by helping facilitate connections, providing access to expertise, and remove barriers to advancements. Without ostracizing stakeholders. The most effective Sustainability Strategies are based on sound data and comprehensive repeatable measurements. The round table and its members have invested their own significant time and resources into developing the first ever full supply chain Sustainability Framework for u. S. Chicken, turkey, and eggs. Which ill refer to Going Forward as the framework. We completed the Development Process in december last year and our full speed to create the Software Tools to collect the data within this year. There is a lot of data to collect. The scale and importance of poultry in the diet of americans and the world continues to grow. Poultry is the most consumed protein due to its accessibility to all cultures, affordability in relation to its nutrition, and ease for athome cooking and Quick Service food. Its also a pillar for the food and agricultural industry. Generating more than 576 billion in annual economic impact, and 41. 9 billion in tax was more than two million workers employed by the poultry and egg supply chains. What shifted lately is the push up and down supply chain. Its not enough for to us have fantastic Sustainability Programs at mcdonalds and at our suppliers, we must have everything put together from the very beginning, from the feed for the birds to the delivery of our food across the country. Mcdonalds has taken learnings from the round table and commit committed and invested millions of dollars in Partnership Programs with its suppliers to increase the sustainability of its poultry supply chain. One example is the round table partnership and the u. S. Round table for poultry and egg Sustainability Framework. Another project example is the smart boiler project focused on innovation and outcomes based poultry welfare assessments. I share this with you today to offer some good news and reassurance that the entire poultry supply chain is proeact actively improving and communicating about their sustainability not resisting it. Poultry we are not divided by industry or discipline but found a way to Work Together at a higher precompetitive throafl find a path that worked for everyone. Mcdonalds is proud to be part of this rapidly growing organization and its projects and to speak with you about this work. From investing in Renewable Energy and partnering with organizations such as the round table to advance sustainability and regenerative agricultural practices, we also want to help protect our planet for communities today and in the future. Their effort to secure funding at the and direction that provide resources to the number one most consumed protein in the United States will be put to good use and amplified by independent efforts like those of u. S. Round table for sustainable poultry and eggs. Ill answer any questions you have. Specific areas can i speak to you in my position and experience. Ill take any questions i cannot answer back to the round table to the experts for more information. Thank you for your time and interest in the u. S. Egg and poultry sector. Mr. Costa thank you for providing that perspective. And the issue of sustainability which is obviously the subject matter of our hearing today. And environmental gain and economic viability. You did reference on a number of your comments the supply chain challenges we face. While its not the subject matter of todays hearing, we have all been dealing over the last 20plus months of this pandemic of the impacts, especially early on when we closed schools and restaurants, and really taking a very complicated and complex supply chain for americas food and turning it upsidedown. Certainly there have been lessons to learn from that. We are now in the phase of the subcommittee hearing that i enjoy where members of the committee get a chance to ask questions or make comments to the various witnesses that we have had here this morning. And you have all done an excellent job. I want to thank each of you for your testimony this morning. As by tradition, we will recognize members in the order that they have come to participate with the committee and Committee Staff as a list of all of you who are very patient in listening and waiting for your opportunity to ask questions, to make comments. I will begin as the chair with recognizing myself for five minutes. And then refer to the Ranking Member for his five minutes. Then we will alternate as is tradition, democrat, republican, democrat, republican. Until all the members of the subcommittee have had an opportunity and full committee that are participating to exercise the Time Available to them. As i mentioned previously, Climate Change obviously impacts not only regions of our country, but regions of the world. Weather patterns and geographies. We continue to learn more each day how we mitigate the impacts of these Climate Change. My first question is to mr. Medeiros. As a producer, you, as noted, are stewards of the land. You and your family. And you have made many changes in terms of your dairy operation. What usda tools or programs do you think have been most critical in helping you accomplish these goals in reducing Greenhouse Gases and nitrate issues with your cater water . How can we improve those efforts in next years farm bill . Mr. Medeiros great question. 2005 i applied for an nrcs grant. Put together one of the first nutrient management programs on my dairy. At that time. One of the first dairies to do that. Right at first Climate Change none of that was on the radar yet. Through that nrcs program i was able to implement a nutrient management program, and started to see the benefits of being able to move manure in a more efficient way across my farm and able to capture those benefits on my farm from methane reducing my methane output and being able to utilize that nutrient management on my crops and better utilize that. Funding through nrcs equip programs, those are all extremely valuable tools for producers today. And Going Forward we need that funding to continue because one shoe doesnt fit all. We have to remember that digesters will not end up in every dairy because its not economically feasible. There are so many other things we can do in our industry through manure management and through technology we figured out there are ways that we can move man new, separate man new, and manure, and apply manure so much more efficient today. And collaborating with nrcs and equip programs, those gives us the resources to where we can do it on a volunteer basis and address all these Climate Changes we are facing. Mr. Costa i have to come out and see some of the changes you made there and try to is heed that will soon. Miss burroughs ms. Burroughs, you talked about being the frontline of Climate Change as farmers. Sustainable practices thats made your farm more resilient. How do you think they can be scaled up on a larger basis as we look at next years farm bill . You are muted here. Ms. Burroughs thank you. Before i answer your question, i wanted to first compliment all of others that have testified and thank them for those wonderful comments. I especially like kim because we have been a rarning family for over ranching family for over a century as well. In terms of all the different programs that are available and the practices that we are using, they are all part of the solution, but the first thing that has to happen is education. Research and education are the most important things to have these practices work throughout the nation. And it isnt a cookie cutter. What works in one particular area may not work in another. But these practices can be implemented across the nation. I think the one thing that has to change is our paradigm of feeding cows. Our cows, both dairy and beef, are grazers, and i believe that god created the symbiotic relationship between cows, grass, and the sun. And i think that depending on what your certain farm or ranch is, every one of these practices that we talked about can all be implemented. And its through education. Mr. Costa well, we appreciate that. Finally, dr. Stackhouselawson, you talked in your testimony about trying to develop ways to more accurately measure issues of emissions and develop strategies that in fact can achieve goals of reducing those emissions. How do you think we best fund that effort in quantifying our data in ways that are meaningful as we try to improve our impacts as it relates to emissions . And what is your university i think we need to be combining resources, frankly, as we try to achieve these goals. Dr. Stackhouselawson absolutely. I think when we really think about measuring Greenhouse Gases from these systems and actually trying to quantify the gas, its really complicated, right . So we know, of course, methane is produced from unit systems, they belch that methane. Its a process of the animals digestive capacity. We know based on diet, they have different amounts of the gas they will emit, right, if were measuring [indiscernible]. But the challenge that we had as scientists is that our methods that we use to measure these things, up until very recently, we had to put animals in chambers or their heads, right, and respiration chambers. We would sort of incaps late their heads or we would put them in whole animal chambers. When we do that, it changes the animals behavior and their desire to eat, right . They continue to eat. But they are not eating as much. So we believe a more accurate representation of what the animal is actually emitting and in their production environment is very important. And the other thing we dont understand is how does that change . How is it different on kims ranch in the forages she has available in idaho versus what rosie has and the forages her animals are consuming . Generally, we think there may be differences. So the levers that kim and may be able to pull on brackett ranch to reduce either nitrogen emissions may be different than the levers that rosie can pull reasonably, right . And we need to make sure we understand those baseline emissions but also how solutions can be applied in well, one size fits all approach, it just doesnt work in Animal Agriculture systems. And how do we balance i think there is a good point. How do we balance knowing everything we possibly can . Because thats also not reasonable. Thats an unreasonable expectation. With the amount of knowledge that we need to move forward with the most appropriate strategies. To answer your question about our universities. We have a new program that just started. Were developing Strategic Partnerships with other institutions that have complementary facilities. Different facilities to ours. One example would be we are setting up a green feed platform where well have six green feeds and what well call climate spart pens but were partnering with texas tech. Or we might partner with davis who have the full animal chamber approach. I do believe we need to be very smart and not duplicating, right, these very precious resources and really Work Together to develop. Mr. Costa i think your comments are well taken. My time has more than expired. I wanted to make sure we get the academic perspective in here. I really do believe as we look toured, you know, money is always a challenge as we try to provide ample resources but that we combine our Research Efforts in ways that makes sense through the academic incredible academic resource we have in this country on a regional basis without further ado, my friend and Ranking Member of the subcommittee, dusty johnson, its your opportunity here with your five minutes. Look forward to hearing your questions and comments. Mr. Johnson thank you, mr. Chairman. And just great witnesses. I mean, really, really a topnotch panel. You can tell how much they agree on. These are happy, optimistic Solutions Focused people who want to make the world a better place. They have done a great job. Ill start with dr. Stackhouselawson and well go to ms. Brackett to a similar set of questions. I thought your testimony, doctor, talking about the progress we made as well as some of the ambitious proactive goals our country has on a go forward basis. And we want to feed the world. We want to do so sustainably. And that kind of a landscape, it seems we should be doing everything we can to have american producers feed even more of the world because we do it better. We do it more sustainably. I feel like so often these producers have a target on their back rather than being viewed as the solution. Just sort of your reactions about that. Dr. Stackhouselawson i think one of the things that i didnt mention in the testimony that is really important is that sustainability is certainly tripled approach, environmental, social, and economic. And we need to take that into account if were thinking about nutrition globally. But the other thing that i didnt mention that sustainability has is an emotional element. When people think about the way that they define sustainability and what may be most important to them, emotions play a role in that. Some of the perceptions that exist around our Production Systems today are challenging. And in some ways its in line with the science and in some ways they dont. I think, representative johnson, it is a its very challenging. I think our farmers and ranchers should be commended for the incredible work that they have done. But this sort of target on their back, unfortunately, oftentimes makes it difficult for i think all of the great minds that we have that could come together to really identify Collaborative Solutions moving forward. And i very much agree with you that those Collaborative Solutions are necessary and that our farmers and ranchers should be part of those conversations because at the end of the day, theyre the boots on the ground that will mitigate the impact. Mr. Johnson and so tell me if im looking at this too simplistically. Elected officials do that. I think were making to seem that producers need to do less. We need less of that production. When in reality we care about sustainability and really effective solution would be to ask the american producers to do even more to help feed the world. Dr. Stackhouselawson right. And i think i think we will get there. You described some of the technology on precision ranching technologies. Im equally excited about that technology. Can we on a phone app move cattle to a place on the ranch at the right time the forage is growing and optimize the landscape and nutrition and also minimize that impact . Because you could move them off potentially in if theres perhaps a migrant bird that needs to nest in that particular environment. So our ability to move virtual fences without actually building fence is its phenomenal. And the opportunity to get even more utilization off of landscapes but also enhance the landscape i think is very real. I think technology is only going to enhance that for us. I think at the same time we have to be very cognizant of the fact that measurements to continually benchmark ourself and then Development Improvement will continue to be important. Mr. Johnson thanks, doc. I have 50 seconds left. Ms. Brackett, it is yours. Any observations . Ms. Brackett i think to add on to that, i would go back to your comments about the efficienciy of the u. S. Beef system. Cattle are cyclers. People dont recognize that most cattle ranches exist on land thats considered marginal. It cant grow crop for human consumption. So cattle can go in there and graze that grass thats not human edible and they convert that into highly nutritious form of protein for our fellow americans. I think thats really important. The other thing when we talk about cattle diet, they also consume a lot of our human food waste that would otherwise go into a landfill. They are definitely upcyclers. Mr. Johnson thank you, mr. Chairman. And i yield back. Mr. Costa i thank the gentleman always for his good questions and upcyclers, i like that term, ms. Brackett. I have to remember that. Its not one that ive used. But our next member to be recognized is the gentlewoman from virginia, my friend, ms. Abigail spanberger. Youre recognized. Ms. Spanberger thank you, chairman costa. I am so thrilled were having this hear on livestock and conservation today. I am the chairwoman of the conservation and forestry subcommittee and i know that our producers across the country and particularly in virginia are really the original conservationists. I am excited about todays hearing because of the large presence of livestock producers in virginia, many of whom are actively engaged in usda conservation programs. In december, i was proud to host usda leaders in orange county, virginia, in my district, to meet with virginia livestock producers and i heard directly from cattlemen and small processors about their most pressing needs. They discussed the recently announced usda investment that will help keep americas cattlemen and their families competitive in a global Aaron Rodgers economy and it was a really wonderful, wonderful way to focus on these programs and the value that they have to our producers. One way our producers stay competitive is by bringing conservation practices into their daytoday operations. Thats why im proud to cosponsor the bipartisan growing Climate Solutions act with my colleague, congressman bacon. It touches on nearly every sector of agriculture, including livestock production. And this legislation would help virginia cattle and poultry producers receive additional Revenue Sources for the Climate Smart practices that they are already embracing. The bill supported by nearly major every farm group. Many major environmental groups. And several fortune 500 companies because it makes sense. Notably, the bill passed the United States senate with 92 senators voting in favor of it. And it continues to the house of representatives has failed to act on a bill that gashers so much support. We dont see that every day. And we should pass it in our chamber. It is crucial for the farmers, the rural communities, and the health of our planet, particularly the farmers and producers in virginia who are advocating for it. Its certainly long past time. So thank you for allowing me this moment. Mr. Me dare oes, i have a question about your testimony. You said that current usda programs dont focus enough on feed management. Thats an area of opportunity and the sustainability question related to dairy production. I heard they have strong expertise on conservation, we need more related to livestock. Can you perhaps share your experience and what youve experienced and provide us with any sort of feedback on what that looks like from your perspective . Mr. Medeiros sure. You know, dr. Stackhouse talked about different feeds and knowing how that would react to the different feeds and what is actually emitting. In the dairy sector out here in california, we feed about 40 of our rations are byproducts. You know, and through those byproducts, we really dont know how much Emission Reductions were getting through those byproducts. So the question is still out there. And at u. C. Davis theres been a lot of studies on oilbased additives, plantbased additives and how thats working on reducing emissions. We need more funding to go in that category. We need less restrictions from f. D. A. When they take a look at those additives because theyre looking at that as an antiby outic and having to go through antibiotic and having go through that process is cumbersome, time is of the essence, right . And some of that stuff, we need to streamline that process. Ms. Spanberger and some antibiotics are natural plantbased, isnt that correct . Mr. Medeiros absolutely. Absolutely. Theyre either oilbased or plantbased. A lot of them is seaweed. When we take a look at these options, we need to streamline that process and we need to put more funding towards that. Because companies, when they start taking a look at the process, theyre not willing to invest, right . Its taking too long, its too expensive. Those are the avenues. We have to remember 45 of emissions coming from a cao is interic and we have to remember, especially in the dairy sector, not everybodys going to be able to put a digester and if we can target 45 of that emissions on the interic basis, thats extremely valuable. Ms. Spanberger thank you. You talked about the digester. My bill would include Agricultural Producer cooperatives that want to meet the high demand for the program by increasing the available cost share, particularly as it relates to digesters. Im running out of time but i will be following up with questions for dr. Stackhouselawson related to the program and what additional access might look like. Particularly for livestock producers and our dairy industry. So thank you so much, mr. Chairman, for this fantastic hearing. And thank you to all of our witnesses for your work and the knowledge you brought to us today. Mr. Costa well, thank you very much, representative spanberger, and your work on your own subcommittee and how we can collaborate together with conservations and i think next years farm bill is critical for all of us in terms of looking at americas livestock industry to achieve even better results. So our next witness is Ranking Member of the full committee. I introduced him once before so i dont think i need to introduce him again. My friend, representative thompson from pennsylvania. Mr. Thompson mr. Costa you need to unmute, g. T. Mr. Thompson thank you for assembling just a tremendous panel on this topic. Just outstanding. I could listen to these folks all day long. This is these are the types of voices we need to have as we prepare for the 2023 farm bill. In this space of sustainability climate, while Many Private Companies made major climate commitments, theyre struggling to find ways to achieve their goals. And i think to achieve their goals in truly meaningful ways that are effective with in line with their goal. Despite having significant financial resources. Simultaneously, usda conservation programs and i would put our Agriculture Committee at the forefront of that, because we have authorized what it is at usda in the conservation space, specifically. Those conservation programs are oversubscribed and agriculture producers have difficulty accessing these vital programs. So for these reasons, i introduced the sustains act, which would allow usda to accept and match donated private funds to stretch the federal dollar. The idea is that the third parties could really be able to demonstrate their climate credentials. They can be climate champions by when they directly partner with usda to Fund Conservation projects, more conservation projects andics panned those through the ex and expand those through the existing programs. In terms of landbased solutions, we see the documentation shows overall our farmers, ranchers, foresters, sequester 4. 1 giga tons an actually Greenhouse Gas emissions. The Research Goes to show that theres a that is plus a little over 10 which shows our farmers, ranchers, foresters are climate heroes but we can do better because we know that theres new innovations because agriculture american agriculture is science and technology innovation. I want to start with mr. Meier or whoever would like to respond. Im curious. Do you see a value in a concept where we form a Publicprivate Partnerships for organizations of all siz sizes, not large, but those small mom and pop industries could help Fund Conservation programs, do you see a ms. Burroughs this is rosie. We need all hands on deck working to solve our problems. So any and everything, working towards the good of our and id like to change it not just sustainability but to viability. And its about the health of our planet. Thank you. Mr. Thompson thank you. Any other thoughts on that type of approach of publicprivate approach with our conservation programs that we may have through the usda . Mr. Meier one thing to keep in mind is that the programs are built for producers. So that means the underlying usda conservation programs must be accessible to poultry producers and provide the Environmental Performance to drive results towards goals per dollar invested and were supportive of those practices and technologies. Mr. Thompson i agree with you. I mean, we need to look at the programs so that all of our producers are benefitting. Whether were talking crops, trees, our livestock. It all has something to offer, right, tremendous forces for good for the economy and the environment. I love the notion of this Publicprivate Partnership idea. I truly believe thats where our solutions are going to come and those tangible outcomes are going to be made available. Dr. Stackhouselawson if i could provide a few things you could add. The ability to actually measure the outcome we have achieved would be powerful. If we have these climate champions and they could say they reduced x amount of tons or theyve helped sequester x amount of tons, i think that would be really helpful for a lot of these more corporate strategies. The other thing i might encourage, its climate i love the name of climate champion. It might be really interesting to also measure the improvements in Water Holding capacity. And even biodiversity in the soil. I think as we begin to help and we see these phenomenal wins, win, wins, i think thats where value lies as well. Mr. Thompson absolutely. Thank you to the panel. And chairman, thank you for convening this. And i yield back. Mr. Costa youre welcome. The gentleman is always appreciated with his appreciation. Dr. Stackhouselawson, we appreciate your enthusiasm. We need more of that. I hope it spreads to i know many of the members subcommittee are expressing their enthusiasm as it relates to todays hearing. The next representative, my friend from connecticut, who is very focused on these issues, representative hayes. Please, you have five minutes. Mrs. Hayes thank you, chairman costa. And thank you for having this hearing today. Connecticuts Fifth District is a hotbed of sustainable livestock farming. There are countless farmers that operate small Family Dairy Farms with a focus on sustainable and organic agriculture. One add is animal farms, a diverse direct market farm and Educational Program in falls village, connecticut. It is part of a National Organization which advocates for agricultural and environmentally sustainability in connection with the jewish faith. And then theres another farm, a fourth generation, 1,100cao dairy farm which makes Sustainability Center of their practices by composting manure and reselling it as organic fertilizer to the local economy. The owner of laurel brook is christian. Hes chair of the dairy mark cooperative and in connecticut, rather than treating sustainability as an afterthought, our farmers know that good stewardship over our land and environment must be central to all agricultural practices. However, connecticut family farms are struggling. Consolidation in the dairy industry has hit us hard, leaving connecticut with fewer than 100 remaining dairy farms, having lost nearly 200 in the past decade. My questions today are for ms. Burroughs. Given that you run a diversified sustainable farm similar to those in my district, can you share details about the effect of consolidation on the uptick of Sustainable Practices throughout the livestock sector . Specifically, what are the implications that larger operations pose for the adoption of sustainability measure . Ms. Burroughs thank you, representative hayes, for the question. It is i think its the key to our future to have the ranchers and farmers and grazers that are able to utilize their farms and ranches in a way that protects the environment and brings health to the planet. There are more microbes in one teaspoon of healthy soil than there are people on the planet. And these microbes, with the symbiotic relationship between animal grazing and the land, they create the water infiltration system that replenishes the aquifers when it does rain. And when we lose a farmer to his farm or land because of consolidation or because of efficiency in bigger, more corporate type of farms, weve lost our farms and ranchers forever. They will not ever get an opportunity to come back. We ourselves have had two grassbased organic dairies, and they were the premiere grazing daries that worked beautifully and we can show you all the research and the good things about it. I like what kim said. The economic viability did not work because we do not have an equal Playing Field when the n. O. P. Has not enforced pasture rule uniformly across the nation. And congress has directed the n. O. P. To publish the final rule on origin of livestock, but the n. O. P. Has not done that. So number one, we need an equal Playing Field so that those of us that are using grazing practices can be rewarded by the consumers who support and businesses that support our type of farming that is bringing benefits to the planet and health to all people. From the birds in the air to the microbes in the soil. Thank you. Mrs. Hayes thank you, ms. Burroughs. Im smiling because my next question is how would finalizing the n. O. P. Organic farms and you led right into it because its all connected. Exactly what you have just talked about is what im hearing from Small Farmers in connecticut. Our landscape in my district is just outlined and created by the farmers. Their investments in the communities. What they do for neighbors, for our schools, our agriscience programs and it would be devastating for connecticuts Fifth District for these farmers not be sustainable and for us to continue to lose at the rate weve been losing. So thank you so much for your work in this area. And for your very thoughtful comments. Mr. Chair, thats all i have. I yield back. Mr. Costa i thank the gentlewoman from connecticut for your comments and your insight. Our next member is the gentleman from indiana, representative jim baird, who represents the fourth congressional district, i believe. Good to have you involved, my friend. Mr. Baird thank you, mr. Chairman, Ranking Member. I want to add my appreciation to all the witnesses here today. The expertise they bring to this committee is really beneficial to our ability to make decisions as we talk about the farm bill. You know, we heard several people mention not only the witnesses but many members talk about the significant improvements in agriculture has made in almost 50 years, 70 years of 287 increase with very little change in the kinds of inputs that we put into agriculture. So im really glad that were giving farmers and ranchers the credit they deserve for all the conservation efforts and the things that are important to maintaining our environment. And you know, the things that there are many things id love to talk about like soil health, grazing management, nutrient manage scombrment management, methane, digesters. Maybe i can get to some of those. So one area we havent talked about not sure how much interest some people have, but im very excited about biotech and the potential these technologies will have in benefitting the environment and not only environment but the human and Animal Health and the worlds demand for sustainability produce proteins. So these technologies can be beneficial to cattle and the dairy industry with researchers and Companies Developing gene additive trait for heat tolerance and by using biotech to read cattle to [indiscernible] we can have cattle that are better able to regulate body temperature during periods of heat stress. And helping them maintain productivity. So mr. Medeiros, ill start with you and ms. Brackett, ill follow up. Can you touch on your industrys view to the benefits of biotech in all this discussion . Mr. Medeiros absolutely. And being a representative from indiana, you see a lot of the biotech in feeds and Crop Rotations. We see it out west, also. The benefit it brings to the environment. From an animal aspect, ill share a little story with you. I am a dire i met a guy that changed his mind. Let me talk about that. We talk about heat tolerance and all that. I have switched to jersey breeds on one of my farms. One of the things i noticed is the tolerance that they have to heat. Much greater than a holstein. And their impact their footprint on the environment is much less than the holstein. So we have found through our own research on our own farm the benefits of just changing the breed on how that has impacted our footprint on the environment. So you know, its Little Things like that. And then, you know, well take it as far into Crop Rotation on biotech corn and tolerance to droughts. We know all about droughts out here in california. So sustainability goes anywhere from emissions from that cao to cow to water. We want to encompass all that in our operations so we take a look at all that in our operations. So thats some of the stuff we addressed in our operations is breeds and, of course, our Crop Rotations. Mr. Baird well, thank you very much for that insight. Very informative information there. Ms. Brackett, would you care to address that same concern . Ms. Brackett certainly. Thank you, representative baird. Id definitely echo his comments. Thats so critical in the cattle industry you match the breed to the climate you live in, the region of the country that youre in. I would say thats probably the first i it might be an old it might be an old school technology. Feed additives. We talked about that to reduce methane emissions. I think theres a lot of interest going on, some Exciting Research in that area. When we talk about technology in the cattle industry, we also talk broader than biotech. Representative johnson mentioned his Precision Grazing technology. Thats also really exciting to us. And i think finally i would just mention we need to have spending this time on updating on our emission science. Getting that baseline and understanding where we need to go from here. Mr. Baird well, thank you very much. And i see my time is almost up. I dont think the chairman will give me any more time. I have all kinds of questions. I would enjoy visiting with all of you for the rest of the day. But thank you. I yield back. Mr. Costa the gentleman is always welcomed. Certainly, youll have an opportunity, as all members of the committee do, to submit questions to our witnesses. I agree with you, as others stated, we have a great group of witnesses here today. And not enough time for all of us to ask additional questions that wed like to ask. Our next member is the gentlewoman from iowas third district, another friend, representative cindy axne, youre recognized for five minutes. Representative axne. Mrs. Axne thank you, chairman costa. Thank you to our witnesses for being here today and rep baird, you and i always seem to be on the same pathway to questions. So maybe we can get some of your answers from mine here. Since ive came to congress, i have been a strong supporter of sustainable Aaron Rodgers practices for our farmers. We know how important it is. I know right here in iowa that our family farmers are the original conservationists and their kids depend on them doing so. So we know, also, that consumers are becoming more increasingly aware and interested in how their food is being grown, how sustainable it is, all of it. I was recently out in iowa with secretary vilsack and we were at a producers shop, as a matter of fact. The owners told us that they were meeting this demand by providing information to their consumers where their beef comes from. From farm to table. It was so cool to talk to their kids who put together this q. R. Codes where they track every animal and then their customers can see from birth to table what that animals been up to. Theyre really looking for these things. I think our Young Farmers and producers are ready to be at the table with this. While our family farmers have continually been more efficient and sustainable over these last few decades, though, this market trend will provide more opportunities for farmers who are on the cutting edge of sustainability and further incentivize those who want to do more. As we look towards this upcoming farm bill that we are talking about, Congress Needs to be investing more resources towards conservation programs, for research, technical assistance, etc. And we need our farmers to be able to take advantage of this growing market to hip our country help our country reduce emissions. My first question is to you, dr. Stackhouselawson. In your testimony you referenced Numerous Research gaps, limited funding and other challenges in improving sustainability. In your view, whats the most pressing research need, and how would that Research Help our producers . Dr. Stackhouselawson thank you for the question. Really establishing appropriate baselines for Greenhouse Gas emissions in the way that cattle are raised today, in my opinion, is what is most needed right now. So weve modeled this for a very long time. Of course, using emissions data. The emissions we factor creating those emission factors are based on data from past equipment. Putting those animals in aspiration chambers or whole animal chambers. Im worried were not getting accurate baseline emissions from the types of cattle that we have today. What that will also allow us to do is begin to and im very excited about this and was inspired by the previous question as well begin to potentially genotype animals that might have less methane emissions. Even on the same diet. So i think theres such a gap in sort of our actual knowledge of what these animals are doing in their natural environment, what animals are performing better. I have questions around are the efficiency metrics were using today, are they the right ones . Is there a nutrient efficient metric we just missed because we havent had that technology on those resources at our fingertips . As this Technology Catches up and were hopeful that Even Technology from measuring methane emissions from the oil and gas industry could we translate some of that . Were very close. I think were very close to it catching up. So just really building that database would be my recommendation as a really good starting place. Mrs. Axne as somebody that comes from the world of strategy, baseline numbers is an important place to start with. I appreciate you bringing that up. Thank you. Ms. Burroughs, you stated that management intensive grazing is the key to the future. Can you expand on that . You mentioned you needed a level Playing Field. What specific challenges do you think are most important to address for producers in adopting that practice . Ms. Burroughs thank you for the question. There are three kind of areas that ill hit. In regards to the n. O. P. Making their final rule on the origin of livestock rule, that is in reference to grazing animals in the dairy sector. In terms of grazing beef out on the range lands, there are theres lots of research and theres a holistic many, many holistic programs on management intensive grazing. What we found what i said earlier in our testimony, 40 years ago, we didnt know what we didnt know. Is it, god created a perfect universe. If we work with Mother Nature in the cycle of the seasons and adapting like what was said earlier, the cattle to the environment of what you have, whether youre in a Mountain Range or a desert area, those are all the decisions that need to be made to be efficient and viable of grazing your animals. We also graze sheep. Sheep are an animal that our country has sort of left behind but sheep are wonderful grazers. Were using them in our orchards. So what we have found is that when we integrate grazing into our farming systems, our orchards, we are finding that that relationship is completely has so many benefits. I would love to write a more of a written detail answer to that as time has been limited, but i can say that when things are in cycle and animals manure goes into the soil and is utilized, you are not going to have problems with nitrate concentration from animals that in a concentrated form. My view right now, our whole food system is broken. Weve gone to cheap food. Weve gone to food thats imported. We need to take care of our american farmer, rancher first. Buy local. Buy organically grazed grown meat. We know the c. L. A. s and all the benefits in the health of the meat thats on grazing animals is so much more more important for our health in fighting cancer. So i would love to write a more detailed answer to that. But i just think working with Mother Nature is the relationship of what we all need to be striving to do because when we are in sync, then were able to reduce all those Greenhouse Gases, all of the stored carbon in the soil and hold water in our and recharge our aquifers. Its very exciting. I can say that seeing what was in a dead soil and what is in a live soil and having life and we planted rows of for beneficials, for all yep. Ok. I will have a written testimony. Thank you. Mr. Costa and we appreciate appreciate representative axne and, rosie, your enthusiasm as chairperson of a soils caucus, we need to bring you back. Ive never seen such enthusiasm for soils. And well continue that in that vain. Next member, representative from iowa, again, the fourth congressional district, the gentleman thats very focused on these issues, representative randy wenstrup. Mr. Wenstrup thank you, Ranking Member randy feenstra. Mr. Feenstra in iowa, the livestock industry has a great story to tell when it comes to sustainability. Farmers are producing more while using less. Theyre using 75 less land and 25 less water compared to six decades ago. Dairy farms in the u. S. Has the lowest Greenhouse Gas emissions of all our global competitors. Cattle ranchers have reduced it by 40 and producing 60 more beef per animal from 1961 to 2018. Through these technologies, the livestock industry has achieved these goals and its through technology we continue to make improvements in the future. One technology that has advanced the industry and to greater sustainability is feed additives. Mr. Medeiors and ms. Brackett, you showed how animal feed ingredients have reduced methane emissions. I shared your concern i share your concerns that the regulatory red tape has prevented timely marketability for these ingredients. According to a study, it takes three to five years for a feed ingredient to be reviewed by the centers for veterinarian medicine. Why is it important that the food and Drug Administration streamline this review and approval process . And what legislative proposals do you encourage congress to consider related to this issue, mr. Medeiros . Mr. Medeiros ok. Well, first of all, we need to separate the feed additives from the antibiotic category so we can fast forward what we know so far and promote research and to get this on a fast track. Thats probably the one thing thats really hindering feed additives today. And then we need to spend more time and investment in that category. I think theres a lot more research that needs to be done in that category where we can understand it. Dr. Stackhouselawson touched upon it a little bit. F. D. A. Needs to really, again, needs to take a look at it, the protocol on feed additives so we can pursue that at a much rapid rate and push that forward. Thats my opinion on that. And i think its something that Congress Really needs to take a look at. Mr. Feenstra ms. Brackett, do you have an opinion on that . Ms. Brackett we need to look at that as opposed to regulation. Investing in research thats going to help producers be more solutions oriented, i think it is a collaborative goal we are all striving to achieve here. Especially feed additives, having more research in that arena. Supporting innovations so we can be more technologically advanced and achieve our climate goals, absolutely. Mr. Feenstra thank you for those comments. Question, dr. Stackhouselawson, i sit on the science, space, technology amendment. And i passed an amendment to include animalomics database in a bill that ensures that databases are included in research and Development Initiatives allowing data access that is focused on animal biotechnology and genetic modification. How do you see it fitting in the overall strategy for meeting feed demands in a growing population to achieve our sustainability goals . Dr. Stackhouselawson thank you for the question. And im certainly not an expert in that area. But i think when we think about really achieving sustainability goals, so much of the progress to today has been made through enhanced deficiencies. We have to do more. There has to be more than those enhanced deficiencies but we need to develop technologies and tools to even streamline the fisheses, right . And so i think any access to data and technology to help do more with less, to help our producers have more appropriate tools that can work on their individual operations but still drive to these bigger goals that we have is where we all need to think about innovating. The beautiful thing about sustainability, and quite frankly, climate, is that any improvements we make are helped. They may not help as much as we think wed want them to but they still help. So i think those efforts are warranted. Mr. Feenstra i agree. The reality is the livestock industry has adopted Sustainability Practices which i am so excited about. With that, my time has ended. Thank you and i yield back. Mr. Costa i thank the gentleman. We thank, again, our witnesses. Our next member is my friend, representative bobby rush from illinoiss first congressional district. And we appreciate Congress Member rushs always participation. He represents the heart of americas urban areas but understands the importance of american agriculture and the role that it plays. That will be followed by representative barry moore from alabama. Bobby, youre next up. Mr. Rush i certainly want to thank you, mr. Chairman. This has been a very, very informative hearing. I thank you for it. I want to take a moment to welcome, if i might, mr. Meier, who is here with us today from my hometown of chicago. And mr. Medeiros, i have a question for you. I am extremely interested in cooperatives. I am looking forward to ways to explain Aaron Rodgers coops to urban areas. I believe that structure of the i am looking forward to ways to explain ag coops to urban areas. I believe that structure of the [indiscernible] i want to take the opportunity and hope that you can briefly discuss some of the best practices that you have witnessed as a member of the National Milk Producers Federation examining committee. And if you could particularly inform me about the [indiscernible] that you are seeing that could help expand [indiscernible] such as urban ag. Mr. Medeiros, would you respond . Mr. Medeiros yes. So a little history about myself. I used to be an independent producer one time. And learned the value of a coop. Coops brings coops brings value to agriculture. The resources a coop is coop can bring to producers. The fourth largest milk processer in the world, the resources that coops brings to producers, we have our farm program, our innovation programs, and coops brings such to agriculture, whether youre a corn grower, a beef producer, dairy industry, it is a vital component of producers and having the ability to use coops to reach out to people, educate people, and bring resources back to the farmer. And as an independent producer, you dont get those same resources. So i think its a valuable tool toed too producers. We can touch the cities and be able to touch city farmers and the city population understands the value that a coop can bring to coop can bring to producers and all the assets and who we touch in the industry. Mr. Rush i am glad to be engaged in this conversation. I am committed to the idea and the potential of trying to create a unity of will, a unity of spirit, a unity of understanding in terms of the whole coop section of our economy. Mr. Chairman, i yield back. Mr. Costa thank you very much, representative rush. And our next member, in the order the staff has provided me, is representative barry moore. And will be followed by Sanford Bishop from georgias second. Mr. Moore, the floor is yours. Mr. Moore thank you, mr. Chairman. We heard a lot about grazing and cattle. I want to talk about a poultry industry. Its a big thing in our part of the world. And testimony in terms of working on measurement. The National Council sustainability report last year, im reading in 10 years, the land use is decreased by 30 , water consumption by 13 . And fossil fuel use by 22 . Can you expand on this . And what do you attribute these gains to, please . Mr. Meier thank you, representative moore. The poultry industry has made Great Strides over the past decade and has been a shining light on the agriculture industry. For sustainable poultry and eggs, were focused on getting a baseline measurement and broader aspect of every note of the supply chain involved in that sustainability conversation. So weve involved producers, integrators, allied industry, as well as n. G. O. s, and restaurants in building our framework. The framework was completed in december. This year, were going to launch were going to launch the tool well use and it will be an online tool. That way, all of these can input their sustainability measurement into that. Well have a good baseline across the full supply chain, from producer all the way to customer of what our sustainability looks like in the u. S. Poultry and egg industry. So for example, one of those metrics might look like would be energy use. So even every producer is monitoring their energy use. They receive whether its an electric bill, diesel bill, natural gas bill. So they have a baseline that they can then put into the system. Theyll know where they stand and what they are measuring. When we generate all our data and we have the final report well release once we have the tool launched, that producer will then be able to benchmark where they are amongst other producers and the industry itself. Then, they can set targets for themselves and others to continually improve in that space. And know they are doing their part to provide a sustainable feature for the poultry anding a industry. Mr. Moore im looking down the road to hopefully continue these trends. What do you see is there anything youd like to expand on . Ernie, the digesters to create energy, i didnt know if you are seeing much of that. We had a few of those testing in our part of the area. They are the things that allows the farmers to keep maintaining family farms and staying in business. What efforts do you think we need to expand on going on in the near future . Mr. Medeiros i think the mr. Meier i think the effort for the family farmers, poultry producers is make accessibility to usda funds and resources that are programs that are out there. I think those are the opportunities for those family producers and those family farms that they need the access to and the technology and the funds to be able to access those technologies that you referenced earlier. Mr. Moore ok. And thank you, mr. Meier. I appreciate that. Mr. Chairman, with that, ill yield back. Mr. Costa all right. Thank you. The gentleman from alabama. We always appreciate when you add time to the committees portfolio. That is good. The next justice is another friend, Sanford Bishop from georgias second congressional district. And for the witnesses testifying here, we have valuable members of this subcommittee that play different roles in the house of representatives. My friend, representative bishop, has got the distinction of being one of the cardinals. So he chairs the subcommittee on House Appropriations that handles the agricultural budget for the usda. So he becomes very valuable. He is one of the important members that not only focuses on the policy issues in the House Ag Committee but on the budget issues on the House Appropriations committee that handles the subcommittee for the usdas budget. So hes a key person that we should all be talking to. Representative bishop. Mr. Bishop thank you very much, mr. Chairman. And let me thank you for this hearing today. The witnesses are extraordinary, and theyve been very enlightening. I have two questions. The first one, id like to direct to ms. Burroughs. When i think about sustainability in the livestock sector, i think about will harris in my district down in georgia. Hes been recognized throughout the state of georgia and the nation and even globally for his impeccable stewardship. He often says that sustainability isnt enough. Agriculture has to be regenerative. Ms. Burroughs, you character your familys farming practices as regenerative. Can you tell us how it translates to different systems thats deployed on your farm . His farm is located in bluffton, georgia. Its the largest private employer in clay county. It has 113 people. And the county itself has only about 2,800 people. But will harris employs 185 people, and he writes 100,000 in paychecks every friday. What are some of the economic benefits that youve received from adopting the Climate Smart Management Practices . And my second question is for the panel at large. And basically, it addresses scalable solutions. The potential benefits of Community Scale meat processors are very broad. And these types of operations have a smaller environmental footprint and more flexible and able to respond to changing conditions and keep money in the local agriculture community. Tell us how congress can ensure that investments in local and regional Meat Processing infrastructure support the expansion of small Community Scale processors that will support environmentally and socially responsible practices. Ms. Burroughs thank you. I so appreciate you mentioning will. He is a friend of ours. We spoke together at berkley several years ago. We also shared the leo you can see the rest of this on our website cspan. Org or use the cspan now video app. Keeping our more than 40year commitment to live gaveltogavel coverage of congress, we take you live to the u. S. Capitol where the house of representatives is working on legislation to increase u. S. 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