Monroe, MI - Thursday, Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) took part in his annual tour of agricultural operations in the 15th Congressional District. The Congressman visited two farms and two nurseries in Monroe and Washtenaw counties to talk with and listen to local farmers about their concerns and priorities.

“For over twenty-five years I have been fortunate to have been able to tour farms in my district to learn about the agricultural priorities of my constituents,” said Dingell. “These punctilious men and women are hard workers and true gamblers; their livelihood is contingent upon market forces and weather conditions beyond their control. It is important for me to understand their concerns so I can best represent their needs in Washington.”

The farm tour, organized through the Michigan State University Extension Office in Monroe County, consisted of four stops in Monroe and Washtenaw County. Representatives of the Monroe County Farm Bureau, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Washtenaw Extension Council and the Michigan 4-H participated in the discussions. The topics discussed included the recent House-passed farm bill, which Congressman Dingell supported, immigration reform, and environmentally sound farming practices.

Said Dingell: “I asked our local farmers if they were happy with the farm bill and they generally were pleased with it, as the bill maintains the safety net that farmers need to protect them against the economic dangers they face but cannot control. I will take their thoughts and suggestions back to Washington and will work to improve the bill as it goes through conference with the Senate.”

The issue of immigration reform was also discussed extensively because many farmers in the 15th District rely heavily on guest workers during harvest time. “I am disappointed that the Senate seems to have killed our chances of passing much needed immigration reform legislation this year,” said Dingell, “I believe that in order to ensure the fair and decent treatment of these workers and protect the security of our nation, it is urgent for the Congress to address the problems facing our guest worker program, including the issue of a proper ID system.”

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH09), who represents the Toledo area just across the Michigan border, along with several farmers and agricultural leaders from her district joined Congressman Dingell and growers from southeast Michigan to discuss the concept of “clustering”. Clustering is a regional economic development technique involving a cooperative effort between many members of an industry to solve common problems and remain competitive in order to sustain and grow the local economy. The Toledo area greenhouse growers have implemented this technique to create a successful greenhouse cluster called the Maumee Valley Growers. Congressman Dingell and Congresswoman Kaptur also discussed other agricultural synergies between the two congressional districts.

“I always enjoy my time with Congresswoman Kaptur,” Congressman Dingell said. “She is someone who does terrific work and I feel like good things come from the work we do together. I am glad we could spend some time together on projects that will be good for the farmers in our districts.”

The Congressman also took part in the unveiling of a Michigan Agricultural Environment Assurance Program (MAEAP) verification sign at the Darling Farm in Willis, Michigan. MAEAP is a voluntary a comprehensive, voluntary, proactive program designed to reduce farmers’ legal and environmental risks. MAEAP-verified farms are recognized as outstanding environmental stewards and are eligible for cost-share incentives, tax credits, low-cost lending and reduced liability insurance premiums from participating companies.

For interested newspapers: we can make photos taken by Congressman Dingell’s staff available. Please contact Adam Benson and he will e-mail photos from the various events.

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