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28 SUGAR PRODUCER | MARCH 2022 This year we begin the process of formulating the 2023 Farm Bill. The first step is to review items under the jurisdiction of the House and Senate agriculture committees. This will be done through oversight hearings to understand successes and shortcomings of the 2018 Farm Bill. Stakeholder and Gearing Up The industry's attention is turning toward the 2023 Farm Bill. FROM THE ASGA Luther Markwart | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT What is important right now is to use education to frame our issues. Legislators must understand the importance of our industry and its policy. field hearings will outline the needs of agriculture into the future. The sugar industry uses this process as an opportunity to review elements of sugar policy and see where any improvements can be made. There is always a good deal of analysis that needs to be done if you are going to make any recommended changes to the current policy. This work is well underway, with the intent to have any recommendations ready for 2023. What is important right now is to use education to frame our issues. Legislators and staff must understand the importance of our industry and its policy. With supply chain disruption across many industries, we are a prime example of a reliable supplier with fair prices for consumers. A new Texas A&M study shows that the sugar industry provides over 109,000 good-paying jobs in rural and urban communities. The beet and cane industry is generating over $24 billion to the economy. Teams of beet and cane growers will make hundreds of virtual congressional visits again this year as part of our annual fly-in. Last year was a great success, and we look forward to another one. Congressional offices want to know about any pandemic- related supply chain problems for their constituents. Nationwide, we have over 90 strategically located distribution facilities to ensure no such problems exist in our industry. This great story is told by actual growers. It leaves a huge impact on the people who will make decisions on U.S. sugar policy and your future. A special thank you is owed to Zack Clark and Pam Alther, who work with others in the industry to make this event a success. It is our intent to have an in-person fly-in early 2023. Our 2023 annual meeting will also be in Washington, D.C., so our industry leaders can meet with national leaders to discuss the farm bill. ASGA has added a dozen new board members this year as well as new leadership. At the ASGA annual meeting on Jan. 28, Nate Hultgren of Raymond, Minnesota, was unanimously elected as ASGA president for 2022. Hultgren grows beets for Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative, where he also currently serves as chairman of the board. Hultgren has