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 24, 2021| View More
Tester Statement on USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers Program that Will Open Up Billions for Montana Ag Producers
U.S. Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that billions of dollars in coronavirus relief funding will be opened up to bring critical financial assistance to agricultural producers impacted by COVID-19 market disruptions:
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March 4, 2021| View More
Tester Secures $20 Billion for Vaccine Distribution in COVID Relief Package, Millions for Montana Workers and Small Businesses
U.S. Senator Jon Tester today announced that he secured major wins for Montana in the latest coronavirus relief package, including $20 billion for vaccine production, procurement, and distribution that will help ensure every Montanan who wants a vaccine can receive one.
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February 24, 2021| View More
Tester Demands Postal Service Reverse Embargo on Mailing Live Animals
Following an outcry among Montana agriculture producers, U.S. Senator Jon Tester-the Senate's only working farmer-today demanded that United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy reverse the agency's embargo on mailing live animals, which has severely impacted Montana's family farmers.
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January 29, 2021| View More
Tester’s Bipartisan Bill Aims to Cut Red Tape, Expand Access to Interstate Markets for Montana Ranchers
U.S. Senator Jon Tester is reintroducing his bipartisan bill to cut red tape and allow the interstate trade of meat processed at Montana state-inspected facilities today as part of his Rancher Relief Plan to help Montana producers get back on their feet following the coronavirus crisis.
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January 25, 2021| View More
Tester to Farm Service Agency on Disaster Assistance Delays: ‘right a wrong for Eastern Montana grain growers’
U.S. Senator Jon Tester today is taking the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to task over further delays to disaster assistance support for Eastern Montana farmers who were hit hard by quality losses in the 2018 and 2019, despite the recent rollout of a program meant to make them whole.
