Crawford: Farm bill integral to national security

Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) told a recent Ripon Society breakfast discussion that passing a new farm bill is critical not only for his state and district but also for national security.

“I think that where people miss the mark when we talk about the farm bill is the role that national security plays,” Crawford, the owner of an agriculture news business prior to his 2010 election, said. “We’re already energy dependent. If we become food dependent, we have really said goodbye to our national security. And that is all part and parcel of why we need a farm bill, why we need solid farm policy.”

Crawford said that the farm bill is integral to the state of Arkansas because of its contributions to food production in the U.S.

“In the state of Arkansas we have about 250,000 jobs directly related to agriculture,” Crawford said. “My district also produces half of the rice crop in the United States. A lot of people didn’t know we produce rice in the United States. Well, we do. We’re in the top five rice exporters in the world, and half of that rice comes from my district. So I’m very sensitive to that. We also have poultry. We’re the second largest poultry producer in the nation, so it’s very, very important.”

Crawford served as a bomb disposal technician for four years in the Army, advancing to the rank of sergeant. Following the completion of his service, he graduated from Arkansas State University in 1996 with a B.S. in agriculture business and economics.