WASHINGTON – Missouri Farmers Union member Steve Flick testified today in front of the Senate Committee on Agriculture on behalf of National Farmers Union. Flick, the board chairman of Show Me Energy Cooperative, discussed the importance of federal renewable energy programs such as the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), and the Biorefinery Assistance Program to his cooperative and to rural development as a whole.
“Show Me Energy’s use of BCAP is a compelling example of how farm bill energy title programs are incentivizing the production of dedicated energy crops,” said Flick. “We need to be increasing those programs that will help revitalize rural America and help America become more energy secure. The United States is a country with unlimited potential to do great things. I believe that America’s farmers, ranchers and rural residents have a bright future ahead of them with the right incentives. Renewable energy is the future of rural America.”
Show Me Energy Cooperative is owned by 612 farmers in Western Missouri.
“We greatly appreciate Steve taking the time to come out to Washington, D.C., and sharing his story with the Senate Committee on Agriculture,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “It is important for Congressional leaders to see that programs like BCAP are not expenditures, but rather investments that help us reach a new era in renewable energy. We were pleased to hear bipartisan support on the committee for the inclusion of funding for flex fuel pumps in REAP. The secretary also reiterated his strong support for this in order to meet the administration’s goal of installing 10,000 flex fuel pumps nationwide.”
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