Local specialty crop producers made their case for more flexible grant application processes and enhanced incentives for small growers during a round-table discussion Thursday with Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.

Tester held his second “Barnstormin’ Farm Bill” session at Glacier Hops Ranch near Whitefish to hear from farmers as Congress begins constructing a new Farm Bill. The current Farm Bill expires in 2018 but hearings begin next year.

Sue Snow, co-owner of Tabletree Juice in Bigfork, pointed out how the value-added producer grant application process has too short of a turnaround between the time applications are available and when they’re due.

Kathy Hadley, executive director of the Butte-based National Center for Appropriate Technology said she has gotten many comments from small producers about the ill-timed June deadline for specialty-crop grants. That’s one of the busiest times of year for farmers. She wondered if a winter time line could be set up.

Tom Britz of Glacier Hops Ranch made a pitch for more flexible grant programs.

“As an entrepreneur you have to plan a year in advance,” Britz said. “If you had the ability to have a flexible application process” small producers would be better able to react to market opportunities for their crops.

Other producers said the amount of time it takes to administer the grant, such as completing the required paperwork, makes the process cumbersome.

Pat McGlynn, Montana State University Extension Agent for Flathead County, said she believes specialty-crop block grants are useful and would like to see an agriculture innovation center with a food scientist sponsored by the university system in Montana. In other states the costs of such programs are picked up by universities.

“At Cornell you could use [the ag innovation center] for free and have access to a food scientist,” McGlynn pointed out.

Mike Jopek of Purple Frog Gardens in Whitefish told Tester about the challenges of local vegetable producers competing with vegetables imported from other countries.

“We do compete with growers south of the border,” Jopek said. “The cost of labor is so wildly different for domestic producers. It’s a real competition issue.”

Andy Sponseller, owner of 10 Spoon Winery in Missoula, echoed Jopek’s concern. He pointed to the huge amount of nationally subsidized wine pouring into American markets, and stressed the need for more incentives and help with marketing for small producers.

“How are we going to get the guy down the road to eat our vegetables, drink our wine?” Sponseller asked. Even if local products are superior to others, “being at the top of your game is not enough,” he said.

Bruce Johnson, president of the Flathead Lake Cherry Growers, told Tester the Flathead’s cherry industry remains heavily dependent on migrant workers, employing 200 to 300 migrant workers during the harvest season.

“We want to make sure the [new] Farm Bill doesn’t have language that would prohibit” access to the migrant workforce, Johnson said.

Tester said it’s important for farmers to start talking now about what works and what doesn’t in the current Farm Bill.

“You guys approach agriculture from the standpoint of economic development,” Tester said at the round-table discussion. “We need thoughtful discussion rather than reactive” response.

Britz said afterward that local farmers have found that “completely unrelated agriculture segments oftentimes share the same problems and are looking for similar solutions.”

A third listening session is planned at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28, at the University of Montana in Missoula.

Anyone with input about what changes could be made to the federal Farm Bill can email farmbillcomments@tester.senate.gov.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.