In the Midwest, the spring planting and calving season marks the start of a production cycle that is critical to the overall performance of the U.S. economy. Agriculture has played a vastly important role in stabilizing the nation's economy and the central stabilizing factor affecting U.S. agricultural output over the years has been sound farm policy; a policy guided by its own cycle of review and adjustment every 5 years.

Whereas the Economic Stimulus plan is an expensive unbudgeted fix for a serious threat to the economic fortunes of all Americans, the new Farm Bill is a budgeted, planned, time-test investment in a highly productive sector of the economy that touches every household in every corner of the country.

The current extension of the 2002 Farm Bill expires March 15th and the majority of growers and ranchers and their member organizations do not support further extension of the old policy over the new Farm Bill, which has been extensively modified to reflect new goals and thinking for commodities, energy, risk, markets, global trade and conservation.

In Nebraska, the clock is ticking past midnight for farmers and ranchers to make vital decisions, the impact of which will be felt throughout the rural economy. The future for Nebraska's rural economy will remain bright as long as Congress and the Administration understand and respond in a timely way.

The new Farm Bill is stuck on small, ideological differences that can and must be settled soon. The health of nation's economy depends upon it.