Author: John Cole, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
April 14, 2025
Brent Copenhaver and his wife Stacey own TalView dairy farmDairy operation in Liban and sell most of their milk regionally in Pennsylvania.
For Brent, he thinks that they are currently thinking one huge problem in Pennsylvania.
“I think that the tariffs are definitely about the human mind,” said Brent Copenhaver to the Capital star. “How it affects us locally is, I think that it will not yet be established.”
Copenhavers hosted several government officials with a high ranking on Monday morning, including US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. He joined her US Senator Dave McCormick (R), US Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson – Chairman of the Agricultural Committee at home – i American representative and (R-9 District).
They set the case that the tariffs adopted by the administration of President Donald Trump would prove to be favorable to farmers.
Rollins, during the first of three stops in Central Pennsylvania, said that Trump’s tariffs for foreign products were the “Save America” ​​movement.
From Trump announced his tariff on April 2The The stock market has experienced variabilityleading to fears from Economists with a potential recession.
Rollins said that the effort consisted of creating better trade agreements with countries that, she claimed, has been using America for decades.
“This implementation is disrupting. It is transformative, but it is disturbing,” said Rollins. “So we are observing how the market is adapting now. We think it will be a short -term correction.”
McCormick, who supports Trump’s tariff policy, said that recently “uncertainty” in the markets slow, but believes that the economy will benefit when up-to-date trade agreements are erased.
During Trump’s first term $ 25 billion from Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) was used to provide direct payments to farmers, to which trade disputes with China were affected. Rollins said that the administration is prepared for relief for farmers “if the negotiations (commercial) have harmful consequences.”
“Hope and the goal is that it will not be necessary,” Rollins said, but added that the administration was prepared to aid farmers, if necessary.
Thompson repeated Rollins, saying that he “fully supported Trump” in terms of trade and that he did not expect it to be needed for farmers, but if necessary, he is prepared to support these payments.
Thompson appealed to the United States Mine-Tanady (USMCA) agreement and China One Deal phaseDuring Trump’s administration, he trusts the president in solving the ongoing tariff situation.
Rollins says “money is available to food banks”
In March, USDA informed Pennsylvania and other states in the whole country that they cancel programs to provide $ 1 billion of federal funds for schools and food banks to enable them to buy food from farms, in accordance with Politico.
After moving, Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Agriculture Sec. Russell Redding held a press conference On March 25, he announces that they are postponing USDA to cancel $ 13 million in the next three years of financing for farmers in Pennsylvania. Redding said he He sent a letter To the federal agency in order to appeal against the decision, and Shapiro said that if he fails, he would consider further legal proceedings.
Rollins said that she respected Shapiro, but he added or other leaders in Pennsylvania: “They don’t have the right facts or play games.”
“They try to make this a political problem,” Rollins said to reporters from Martin’s family farm in Myerstown, Liban. “Money is there.”
Rollins argued that since they became the head of the USDA, “they have released almost one $ 1 billion for food banks” and said that state accounts have money from USDA to support food banks.
Thompson claims that the cuts will not be made
According to the Department of Agriculture, the budget plan from the House Republicans will reduce $ 230 billion ReutersAnd the democrats are afraid that the cuts would come from the nutrition supplementary program, also known as Snap. “It provides food benefits to low -income families to supplement the food budget.
Thompson called this “a mistake” and said that “he would not stand about any cuts” in the program.
“These are our neighbors who live in complex financial times,” said Thompson. He added that changes can be made to make the program more effective.
While Questions and answers In March from Pennsylvania, in March, Thompson said that there would be no reduction in the next agricultural account and would like to expand access to “two sensitive populations that have never been entitled before”, which before “are” aimed at drug accusations “.
Our Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.), A member of the Senate of the Agriculture Committee, He cited potential cuts to happen For reasons, he opposed the last GOP budget plans.
“Work is a huge problem,” says Rollins
When the Trump administration follows the promise of the deportation, the president suggested on Thursday at the office meeting that farmers could stop employees without legal status, Reuters reported. Rollins recognized the fears that the administration has about the workforce on Monday.
“Work is still a great concern for our agricultural community,” said Rollins.
The secretary said she and US Secretary of Work Lori Chavez-Deremer The task was to cooperate with legislative partners to come up with solutions to this problem.
Thompson said in the previous session of the Congress, he gathered a double -sided working group to solve the challenges facing the working force and “in a not very distant future” will develop a “project of discussion” to get a contribution to potential remedies.
“We have to do it in a three-sided way,” said Thompson, saying that Democrats, Republicans and the agricultural industry can cooperate in this matter.
Thompson said in the past H2-A visa programwhich helps American farmers fill the gaps in fleeting employment, employing employees from other countries, it is necessary to reform, including “make it” throughout the year “.
How is the agriculture bill?
Thompson said the agriculture bill, which is favored about every 5 years, “develops nicely”.
In 2024, the Congress approved Annual extension of the accountBecause the agricultural committees of the Chamber and Senate are on the watch to go through the next version of the regulations.
Will it pass this year?
“You will bet,” said Thompson. “It should absolutely. Of course, the faster this year.”
Thompson said earlier Capital-Star His goal was “to do this during the first six months and as early as possible.”
With selected leaders and secretary Rollins, Brent Copenhaver said he was “honored”, that their guests and “promotion of the dairy industry”. Described the agricultural account update as important for local farmers, specifically wanting to see the updated language of the dairy margin (DMC).
“These numbers are based on your production history, and these numbers are antiquated,” he said. “We have improved the way we served our cows. We have improved our milk production and I think they have to come back and visit this production history and let us raise this production history to be more average of what we do today.”
“We just need to update some things. It’s already in the bill. We just need to update them,” added Copenhaver. “And this is a great program that USDA offers.”
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