Souder Gathers Farm Bureau Endorsement During Visit To Bishop Farms At Leesburg
Souder Gathers Farm Bureau Endorsement During Visit To Bishop Farms At Leesburg
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Souder Gathers Farm Bureau Endorsement During Visit To Bishop Farms At LeesburgLEESBURG - U.S. 3rd District Congressman Mark Souder was endorsed Wednesday night at Bishop Farms, Leesburg, for his congressional run.
Souder (R-Fort Wayne), who is seeking re-election to the seat in the May 4 primary, spoke during a Farm Bureau endorsement press conference at the farm.
Candidates also seeking the seat are Charles Newman, (R-Garrett), Bob Thomas, (R-Indianapolis), Phil Troyer (R-Fort Wayne), Tom Hayhurst (D-Fort Wayne) and Thomas Allen Schrader (D-Fort Wayne).
Kosciusko County Farm Bureau Inc. and Indiana Farm Bureau have endorsed Souder for his congressional run, according to Jon Goon, Kosciusko County Farm Bureau Inc. president.Kosciusko County Farm Bureau Inc. is part of Indiana Farm Bureau Inc. and the American Farm Bureau Federation. The organization's purpose is to be an advocate for its members and agriculture through public education and legislation on the local, state and national levels.
Goon said the Farm Bureaus support Souder for his past history and understanding of national and international issues facing agriculture and his pro-agriculture stance.
Souder met with the farm's owner, Bob Bishop, and Bishop's wife, Waneta, Kosciusko County Farm Bureau officials, and Kosciusko County residents at the farm.
Souder spoke about the farming industry.
"In our district the number of farmers has declined, but the value of production out of agriculture has significantly increased and that means farmers are producing more with less," Souder said.
He said agriculture is probably the least known or understood of the economic engines in the 3rd district.
"Agriculture has helped keep our balance in trade in our congressional district up at a higher level even though we are the number one manufacturing district," Souder said.
Farming hasn't become less of a big business because there are fewer farmers, but has become more of a big business, according to Souder.
He said a politically difficult tension that is heating up is the debate between agriculture and the lakes, and he said it will continue as more houses and boats are put on lakes.
"People who move onto the lakes can outvote the people who are there and all of a sudden the most fertile farmland in the U.S. in overrun and you don't have it anymore," Souder said.
Souder said, of his biggest supporters, a large percentage have cottages on lakes, but said people have to defend and understand where income comes from in an area.
He also said it needs to be understood that every farmer that is displaced is taking a bunch of farmers with them.
"I'm afraid that what will happen is if we pave over everything (farm land), what we will do is farm the less yielding land and find that can't get the yields," Souder said.
He said to meet future demands there has to be higher yields out of each acre.
"If we push farming off fertile lands and away from water where people are wanting to build cottages, it's an inevitable battle and that is why soil and water conservation districts are so important," Souder said.
He said the more regulations and costs that are put on farmland, higher costs will be transferred to the consumer.
