FORT WAYNE, Ind. — With a new farm bill on the horizon, this is a good time for farmers and others in agriculture to act as advocates for the industry, according to a U.S. Congressman from northeastern Indiana.

“We have an opportunity to explain how agriculture works and how it’s beneficial not only to us, but to the world,” said U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-3rd). “We really have to be an advocate for agriculture. We have to explain how we do it, why we do it. Agriculture is the thing that I love. I never ever expected to be in politics.”

Stutzman, from Howe, spoke Jan. 17 at the Fort Wayne Farm Show during a discussion about agriculture policy and the 2012 farm bill. Farmers can expect to see some changes with the bill, he noted.

“The biggest change is that direct payments will go away, and I think we’re at a point we can do that,” he explained, adding he hopes payments will be phased out rather than cut off.

Money saved from eliminating direct payments should be used wisely, he stated. “If we are willing to give up direct payments, (the money) needs to go to pay the debt down, not to pay for another program.”

Insurance programs will still be a major part of risk management under the new farm bill, he said.

While farmers need to champion agriculture, it’s also important for them to realize not all farmers have the same issues and concerns, Stutzman said. “Corn and soybean farmers see the world a little differently than the peanut and cotton guys,” he explained.

Those differences will no doubt affect the farm bill, said Charles Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

“In the end, I think the farm bill will turn more on regional differences than it will on differences between Republicans and Democrats,” he explained. “And I’ve never seen a more partisan time in my 32 years in Washington. These guys can’t see eye-to-eye on much of anything.”

The number-one question for agriculture in Washington right now is, can a farm bill be passed this year and what will it look like, Conner said. The country’s deficit and Congressional gridlock will both be factors in influencing the debate over the farm bill, he added.

“There’s also the question of what does agriculture want in terms of an ag policy?” he said. “You do not want a politician in Washington, D.C., to come here and choose. We need to make a choice and ask them to consider that choice.

“One of our jobs is to tell the story. Agriculture accounts for 0.5 percent of total spending. The budget is in a world of hurt but it’s not because of ag spending.”

Last year, the “Super Committee” of 12 members of Congress was created with the goal of finding $1.5 trillion in cuts designed to reduce the nation’s deficit. The committee was unable to agree on potential cuts before its December deadline.

As a part of the process, a Joint Agriculture Committee recommended $23 billion in agriculture cuts last fall to the Super Committee. The proposed cuts would have been spread over 10 years and included $15 billion from commodity programs and $6 billion from conservation, Conner said. The plan also called for the elimination of direct payments.

“If this (Joint Agriculture Committee’s recommendations) is the starting point for the next farm bill, there’s probably a good chance we can get a farm bill done fairly quickly,” Conner explained. “But I don’t think it will be the starting point, meaning I’m thinking the farm bill will take a little longer going forward.”

Since this is an election year, nothing will happen after Memorial Day because Congress will adjourn and its members will be in election mode, he said.

The Indiana Farm Bureau believes it’s crucial for farmers to have a sustainable safety net in place, said Kent Yeager, the organization’s director of public policy. “We should not be so concerned with shallow losses, but the catastrophic ones that can threaten your existence,” he noted.

Food security is also a top concern, as are programs that allow for environmental enhancements on agricultural land, Yeager said.

“It’s important that there are incentives for people to do the right thing environmentally,” he explained. “That’s something the public is expecting from us.”