(NAFB.com) – Two sugarbeet farmers recently took to the pages of their home state papers to praise U.S. sugar policy for helping keep the food supply secure and supporting their family farms. They said that sugar policy must be preserved and strengthened in the next farm bill. Colorado farmer Paul Schlagel  grows sugar beets in Boulder County, Colorado. He wrote an op-ed piece saying the economic pressures and significant cost increases facing farmers require a stronger farm safety net. “It’s more important than ever that we have the strongest safety net possible to sustain current sugar production levels and maintain our national food security,” Schlagel wrote. “Without a strong safety net, family farms like mine would be driven out of business and countless jobs eliminated.” Montana farmer Shane Strecker says the closure of Sidney Sugars in Montana and the resulting economic and job losses were warning signs against weakening the no-cost U.S. sugar policy.