Press Releases

Wenstrup Leads Bipartisan Delegation Letter to Agriculture Secretary Perdue Urging Visit to Ohio

Washington, May 30, 2017 | Hailey Sadler (202-225-3164)

Tags: Agriculture

Washington, DC – Congressman Brad Wenstrup (OH-02), led in sending a bipartisan delegation letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, inviting Secretary Perdue to visit Ohio, and experience Ohio’s productive farming, livestock, and dairy operation first-hand. The letter was signed by the entire Ohio Congressional delegation, including: Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Congressman Pat Tiberi (OH-12), Congressman Michael Turner (OH-03), Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13), Congressman Jim Jordan (OH-04), Congressman Bob Latta (OH-5), Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (OH-11), Congressman Steve Chabot (OH-01), Congressman Bill Johnson (OH-06), Congressman Bob Gibbs (OH-07), Congressman Steve Stivers (OH-15), Congressman Jim Renacci (OH-16), Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Congressman David Joyce (OH-14), and Congressman Warren Davidson (OH-08).

Full text of the letter is available below or here:

The Honorable Sonny Perdue

Secretary of Agriculture

Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Ave., SW

Washington, DC 20250

Congratulations on your confirmation as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. As a successful former governor and small business owner, we appreciate your continued service and are confident in your ability to effectively carry out the mission of the USDA. As you become more versed in our nation’s diverse agricultural communities, we invite you to come to the great State of Ohio, and experience our productive farming, livestock, and dairy operations first-hand.

As you know, Ohio has long played a critical role in our nation’s agricultural heritage. While soybeans and corn are the state’s largest crops in terms of production value, Ohio farmers also grow a wide array of specialty crops, including grapes, tomatoes, and peppers. Our state is home to over 75,000 farms, 90 percent of which are family-owned. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the market value of all agricultural products, produced on farms spread over 14 million acres, contributes $105 billion annually to Ohio’s economy.

Ohio and the USDA have also enjoyed a fruitful direct relationship, particularly through partnership with the Agriculture Research Service (ARS). The Ohio State University works closely with ARS at applied research facilities in Columbus and Wooster. Ohio farmers have directly benefited from these efforts, which have focused on such areas as improving water quality, nutrient management, and pest control. At a time of economic uncertainty in the agriculture sector, we applaud USDA’s front-line efforts to advance Ohio’s largest industry and hope that this cooperation will continue.

Thank you for your dedication to our nation’s farmers, and we encourage you to keep the issues and priorities of our Ohio farmers in mind as you work to improve the programs and services at USDA. We hope that you will accept our invitation, and we stand ready to assist you in any way possible. For additional questions and/or to follow up regarding scheduling, please have your staff follow up with Ryan Dierker, with Rep. Wenstrup (ryan.dierker@mail.house.gov, 202-225-3164), or Addison Miller (addison.miller@mail.house.gov, 202-225-6265), with Rep. Gibbs.

Sincerely,

Brad R. Wenstrup Bob Gibbs