U.S. Senate staff to talk Farm Bill at 2nd Annual Western Ag and Environmental Law Conference

FAYETTEVILLE — Two agricultural policy veterans will provide inside-the-Beltway insights into the Farm Bill and other issues affecting the western United States during the 2nd Annual Western Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference, June 13-14.
During the session, “Update from the Potomac: 2024 Farm Bill, Public Lands, & Related Federal Issues,” Fitzhugh Elder IV, Republican staff director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Rosy Brummette, policy advisor for U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet, D-Colorado, will detail issues affecting the West.
The Western Conference will be held at the University of Nevada, Reno. Registration is online, and a livestream option is available for those unable to attend in person.
National Agricultural Law Center Director Harrison Pittman said Elder and Brummette will provide a unique perspective.
“We’re very fortunate to have Fitz and Rosy join us for this year’s Western conference,” he said. “They are both at the center of ag funding and policy development in D.C. and bring unique perspectives on the latest developments and what to expect next on the Farm Bill and other federal issues.”
Last November, Congress extended the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, otherwise known as the 2018 Farm Bill, legislation to Sept. 30, 2024. The “Update from the Potomac” session will detail what farmers, producers and legal professionals out West can expect looking ahead of that end date, as well as what’s to come with other federal legislation on specialty crops, dairy, forestry, conservation, federal crop insurance, carbon markets and more.
“The economic impact of agriculture in the Western states is huge — $40 billion annually in economic output in Colorado alone. The issues confronting Colorado — water, conservation, nutrition, climate, public lands, and more — are uniquely shared across the region,” Brummette said. “The Western Conference addresses many of these issues, and I’m looking forward to engaging on the latest from D.C.”
Elder said he looks forward to discussing the latest updates from the federal level with conference attendees.
“We’ll be approaching the home stretch of the 2024 election cycle in June. The Western Conference is an excellent opportunity to take stock on where we are and what may be ahead for the Farm Bill, appropriations, and a host of related issues important to the Western ag industry.

“The National Agricultural Law Center is an outstanding resource to the nation’s agricultural community, and the Western Conference is another example of the great work they do,” Elder said.
Continuing education available
The Western Conference has been approved for continuing legal education credit in Nevada, and will be submitted for CLE approval in Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon and Utah. Continuing education approval will also be sought from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. The NALC will coordinate with attendees to self-report in other states.
For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on X. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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About the National Agricultural Law Center
The National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, state and federal policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community.
The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library.