SADORUS: Budzinski, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Tour Soybean Farm

Oct 31, 2024
Press

SADORUS, IL — This week, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small toured a Stierwalt Farm in Sadorus, IL to highlight the unique needs of Illinois farmers. The visit was hosted by Steve Stierwalt, the owner of Stierwalt Farm and cofounder Saving Tomorrow’s Ag Resources (STAR) and focused on the importance of federal support for conservation to ensure a sustainable future for agriculture in Illinois.

“I was thrilled to welcome Deputy Secretary Torres Small to Sadorus this week to give her an up-close look at agriculture in Central Illinois,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “I’m so grateful to Steve for giving us a tour of Stierwalt Farm, and we had a great conversation about how we can work together to enact conservation programs that benefit our growers and producers. Farmers are part of the solution as we face the consequences of a changing climate, which is why I’m fighting to ensure that Illinois receives its fair share of federal conservation dollars. I look forward to continuing my collaboration with farmers in Central and Southern Illinois and leaders like Deputy Secretary Torres Small to ensure a sustainable future for agriculture.”

“It was an honor to join Congresswoman Budzinski in Sadorus this week, where I got to see first-hand her tireless advocacy for agriculture in Central and Southern Illinois. Thank you also to Steve Stierwalt for showing us around his farm and discussing with us the importance of conservation practices,” said Deputy Secretary Torres Small. “Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden-Harris Administration has made historic investments in American farmers, and USDA is proud to work with farmers like Steve to build a more sustainable agricultural system and to ensure farms in Illinois and across the country continue to prosper.”

As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Congresswoman Budzinski has been an outspoken advocate for Illinois to receive its fair share of federal conservation funding. In August, she led a letter with Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth to Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack expressing concerns about the low level of farm conservation funds that USDA historically provides to Illinois and calling for an increase that matches the ranking of Illinois as a top agricultural state. 

Last year, Congresswoman Budzinski led Democratic members of the House Agriculture Committee in a letter urging Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson and Ranking Member David Scott to ensure the nearly $20 billion in conservation funding provided in the Inflation Reduction Act is used for its intended purpose in the 2023 Farm Bill.

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