Senators had removed farmers from the committee, but the House version of the bill includes them, as well as an elected sheriff and a member of the Midwest Hemp Council.

More than 25 farmers representing a variety of commodities including corn, soybeans and livestock gathered at Lamb Farms in Lebanon to meet with Vice President Mike Pence.

The bill would direct the Indiana Department of Agriculture to create a program that would let farmers preserve their agricultural land and keep it from being developed.

The Indiana Farm Bureau says the large surplus of soybeans and corn, paired with the impact of Chinese tariffs, is forcing farmers to tighten their budgets.

As agricultural technology continues to develop, some are trying to find ways to get ahead of possible threats.

The most recent United States Department of Agriculture census, taken in 2012, shows women in Indiana represent only about a fourth of Hoosier farmers.

The ordinance approved last week by Delaware County Commissioners was prompted by a proposed 10,560-head hog farm that's currently tied up in court.

All FSA offices shut down Dec. 28 and those staff were furloughed without pay. A few offices re-opened for limited hours and services on Jan. 17.

The dairy farm has been the subject of a lawsuit between the county and the Hoosier Environmental Council since September.