Parry Teasdale writes in the Columbia Paper Congressman Chris Gibson chose a recent appearance at Hawthorne Valley Farm to outline efforts in the House of Representatives to revive funding for the multimillion-dollar program called the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act. The bill would continue programs that help train young farmers and would authorize micro-loans of up to $35,000 to farmers with a farm in production for fewer than 10 consecutive years. The bill would make $55 million a year available for the program nationwide over the five year proposed life of the new farm bill. Gibson views government support for agriculture in general as a matter of national security. He does not want the U.S. to send troops overseas to protect food supplies in the way the nation now does to protect energy sources. The bill could become law by fall. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.