Congressman Smith Capitol Report

A Focus on Farms

August 4, 2017

 

For the fifth year in a row, I am dedicating the month of August to focus on farms in southeast and south central Missouri, stopping in all 30 counties of our district. Meeting the people who run these operations gives me a real understanding of the challenges they are facing and how I can help them. 

 

The best way for me to represent southeast and south central Missouri is to be in southeast and south central Missouri to meet directly with the families, farmers and small business owners who are often the hardest hit by out of touch government policies. These firsthand conversations allow me to carry the message of southern Missourians back to Washington and fight for our way of life.

 

Most weekdays, I am stuck in Washington casting votes on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives or attending committee hearings. I relish the weekend when I am able to take the first flight out and get back to Missouri to spend time with friends, family, neighbors and all of the down to earth folks I am fortunate enough to represent. Not to mention, getting a break from sleeping on the floor of my office in D.C. is nice. August is a great opportunity to spend more than just Saturday and Sunday getting to know the small business owners, families and especially farmers in our area. That is why I will continue to dedicate my August to visiting the thousands of farms which call southeast and south central Missouri home.

 

The state of Missouri has over 96 thousand farm operations and more than 28 million acres of farmland. We are also the 11th largest agricultural export state in the country, shipping nearly four billion dollars’ worth of products grown in Missouri across the country and around the world. In fact, in our district alone, we have four of the top soybean producing counties in the state. We are also one of the most diverse agriculture districts in the country, producing everything from cotton and cattle to rice and wine. 

 

It is only the first week of our month-long focus on farms, and I’ve already heard about the need for less regulations and a simpler, fairer and flatter tax code. When I stopped in Iron County, Josh Campbell, who runs Campbell Farm, told me, “tell the feds to stop interfering with farmers and just let farmers, farm.” I could not agree more.

 

One of the regulations I heard most about during last year’s focus on farms was the Waters of the United States rule, which was trying to federally regulate every drop of water on Missouri farmer’s land.  Fortunately, over the last year, I have been able to work with the Trump Administration to successfully repeal this harmful rule.

 

Agriculture has a major impact on our economy and our rural way of life in southeast and south central Missouri. This is why it is so important for me to spend time with the folks who run Missouri’s farm operations. It is a huge portion of our economy, providing jobs in our area and putting food on the table for folks in Missouri and across America.  After I finish our fifth annual focus on farms at the end of August, I look forward to taking the concerns I hear to D.C. and making a difference on the issues that matter most to the people who work daily to feed and supply America.