D.C. Coston, vice president for agriculture and university extension at North Dakota State University, is scheduled to travel this week to Washington, D.C., to testify during a Congressional hearing about the 2008 Farm Bill.

Coston's presentation is set for Wednesday, Sept. 30, before the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research.

The hearing will address the implementation of provisions in Title VII research chapter of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, more commonly called the Farm Bill. According to Coston, the legislation included several important changes, including the creation of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture with the purpose of having agricultural research and education equal in stature with the work supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

Coston, who will testify in his role as chair of the Farm Bill Committee of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, said he will discuss that he is pleased with the changes in the Title VII section of the bill, optimistic about implementation progress so far and that more work is needed.

"Because of the great need for increasing food production, improving human health and assuring vitality of rural communities for the next 30 to 50 years, having agricultural research and education seen as a great priority of the United States is essential," said Coston. "I'm looking forward to giving testimony of progress to date and a commitment on behalf of myself and my land-grant colleagues to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in making further progress."