madam chairman , , i rise in strong support of the butterfield amendment , which would add $ 2 million to the usda 's small farmer outreach training and technical assistance program . 
as a young man growing up in the el paso upper valley community of canutillo , i experienced the many challenges that small and medium farmers face daily . 
my grandfather , father and close family members contributed to the operation of the family farms in the el paso and dell city valley , texas . 
also , throughout my tenure in congress , i have met with many minority farmers from my congressional district of el paso , texas . 
these hispanic farmers have faced many challenges . 
outreach , training , and technical assistance are essential to help them succeed in today 's challenging agriculture economy . 
unfortunately , while hispanics are the fastest-growing population in the country , they remain a disadvantaged minority when it comes to having the resources to own and farm our nation 's land . 
farming and ranching are full time , 24 hour , seven day endeavors , and our small and disadvantaged farmers and ranchers merit our consideration and assistance . 
adequate funding for this program would provide the farmers with technical , farm management , and marketing assistance , all of which are important to keeping our farmers productive on their land . 
the small farmer outreach training and technical assistance program has made a great impact in the el paso and las cruces region , and without the proper funding for the program i fear our farmers will be lacking the means to succeed . 
i strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting our nation 's minority farmers by ensuring the passage of this important amendment , and i appreciate the efforts of mr. butterfield and others on this important issue . 
