NORTH SMITHFIELD, RI – As Congress considers the Farm Bill and debates issues to support farmers, bolster nutrition programs, strengthen the food supply chain, and lower grocery prices, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today toured local farms to speak directly with farmers, agriculture policy experts, and Rhode Island families. 

Senator Reed also highlighted the Expanding Access To (EAT) Local Foods Act (S.3982) – which aims to promote economic opportunities for farmers, fishermen, and food producers, strengthen the nation’s food supply chain network, and increase access to locally-grown, nutritious food in underserved communities. Reed helped include a provision in a version of the Farm Bill making its way through the Senate Agriculture Committee that would provide $200 million over five years in mandatory funding for a program based on the EAT Local Foods Act.

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“Rhode Islanders know – good food brings people together. It was great to visit two stops on the Rhode Island Farm Bureau’s 2024 Farm Scavenger Hunt: Wright’s Dairy Farm and Goodwin Brothers Farm. Today, we discussed local priorities for the Farm Bill, raised awareness about the critical work our farmers do to supply Rhode Islanders with healthy, fresh, nutritious food, and talked about how my EAT Local Foods Act would give a boost to family farms and the national food supply chain network while also providing fresh, nutritious food for Americans in need,” said Senator Reed. 

Senator Reed partnered with Henry B. Wright III and Heidi Quinn of the Rhode Island Farm Bureau (RIFB) and officials from the Rhode Island Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Division of Agriculture to tour Wright’s Dairy Farm & Bakery and Goodwin Brothers Farm in North Smithfield.  Reed also teamed up with the Rhode Island Farm Bureau to highlight the 2024 Rhode Island Farm Scavenger Hunt and raise awareness about the positive impact that local farms and farmers have on the environment and public health of Rhode Island and the state’s economy.

“The RI Farm Scavenger Hunt is designed to create awareness of local food in Rhode Island, and the many opportunities offered by Rhode Island’s diversified agriculture.  The Scavenger Hunt brings out people that don’t necessarily realize local food is produced closer than they think.  It also allows producers the opportunity to interface with the culturally diverse consumers in our state, providing farms with the opportunity to trial new crops,” said RIFB President Henry B. Wright III.

Both family farm operations are among the thirty farms featured on this year’s RI Farm Scavenger Hunt.  Visitors are invited to pick up a “game board” flier, available for free at all thirty participating Rhode Island farms and the RI Farm Bureau office, to match corresponding picture clues with each farm and collect stickers at each of the stops. The goal of RIFB’s Scavenger Hunt is to raise awareness of the impact of Rhode Island farmers and to engage friends and families in adventuring around dozens of local farms. 

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At Wright’s Dairy Farm & Bakery, the tour highlighted a newly renovated milk processing facility on the farm for Wright’s 115 Holstein cows. Senator Reed and Clayton Wright, Director of Farm Operations & Owner of Wright’s Dairy Farm, discussed the growth of the over 200-acre, fourth-generation family farm over the last 110 years.

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After stopping at Wright’s, Senator Reed joined Robert and Joshua Goodwin at Goodwin Brothers Farm to tour their acclaimed farm stand and pick blueberries, which are just began ripening for the season. The multi-generational 80-acre farm features a 960 square-foot custom heavy timber barn that was built in 2000 and sells fresh produce and fruit grown at Goodwin Brothers and other local farms throughout Northern Rhode Island.

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“Rhode Island’s farms are critical to the state’s health, prosperity, resilience, and way of life.  As Congress considers the Farm Bill, I will do everything I can to ensure our family farmers, growers, and food producers have the tools they need to survive and thrive and that their businesses are productive and sustainable,” said Senator Reed.

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Congress is supposed to pass a new Farm Bill every five years.  The current Farm Bill is set to expire on September 30.  A new five-year Farm Bill must be passed by both the House and the Senate before it can be signed into law.