Agriculture
As the U.S. Senate’s only working farmer, Jon knows that agriculture is the backbone of Montana’s economy.
Jon farms the same land in northcentral Montana that his grandparents homesteaded over a century ago, and he understands firsthand the challenges facing family farmers and ranchers.
As a member of the Senate’s Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, Jon knows Montana producers need a Farm Bill that strengthens safety nets and allows family farms and ranches to survive periods of low commodity prices. The Farm Bill needs to be a tool that farmers and ranchers can use to increase competition in the marketplace, invest in new research, and increase access to ports along the northern border.
Jon is also fighting to expand access to markets so farmers can sell their products in countries like China and Cuba while maintaining and expanding market access in Mexico and Canada. Jon is committed to working with the Administration on trade agreements that meet the needs of producers while keeping jobs here in Montana.
Jon is also fighting to cut taxes for Montana’s farmers and ranchers, ensuring that they can keep their equipment up to date.
Above all, Jon is fighting to ensure Montana producers have access to the resources they need to grow their bottom lines, strengthen their communities, and pass down their operations to the next generation—just like Jon hopes to pass his farm down to his grandkids.
Related News
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March 20, 2020| View More
Tester Leads Bipartisan Bill for Aid to Montana Small-Scale Livestock Producers As Beef Markets Flounder
Following a unprecedented drop in cattle prices as a result of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and continued market consolidation, U.S. Senator Jon Tester is introducing bipartisan legislation that would provide much-needed relief to Montana cattle producers.
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March 18, 2020| View More
Tester-Backed Coronavirus Relief Package Passes Senate
After calls for swift action from U.S. Senator Jon Tester, the Senate today passed the bipartisan, Tester-backed coronavirus relief package, which will provide critically needed resources to Montana communities amid the state's efforts to combat the outbreak. The legislation will now be sent to the President's desk for his signature.
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March 18, 2020| View More
Tester Demands Agriculture Secretary Take Immediate Action to Stabilize Beef Markets Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
After Montana ranchers recently saw the steepest price decline for cattle in forty years due to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, U.S. Senator Jon Tester is demanding that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue take immediate action to stabilize beef markets.
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March 17, 2020| View More
Tester Calls on Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management to Help Rural Areas with COVID-19 Response
U.S. Senator Jon Tester is joining a bipartisan group of colleagues calling on federal agencies-including the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management-to mobilize their employees to assist with COVID-19 response in rural counties and tribal communities.
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March 17, 2020| View More
On Senate Floor, Tester to McConnell: ‘Millions of Americans are waiting for the Senate to act’ on Coronavirus Package
U.S. Senator Jon Tester today took to the Senate floor to urge the Senate to quickly pass the House's bipartisan coronavirus relief package, which will provide critically needed resources for Montana's efforts to combat the outbreak, and he excoriated Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for allowing the Senate to take …
