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Charged last year with representing a new congressional district, U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee decided it would be a good idea to get out and meet some of his new constituents.
At the top of his list were Bay County farmers.
"Agriculture is an important economic asset up here," Kildee said last Monday during an agriculture tour hosted by the Bay County Farm Bureau.
"I know some things (about agriculture), but I want to make it real in my life. That way, when I'm making decisions in Washington, I can base it on real knowledge rather than theoretical thinking," Kildee said.
Kildee, a Democrat from Flint, was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976, serving the 7th District.
Following redistricting in 2002, he was elected to serve the 5th District, which includes all of Genesee and Tuscola counties and parts of Bay and Saginaw counties.
In Bay County, Kildee's district includes Bay City and Essexville, the townships of Bangor, Frankenlust, Hampton and Portsmouth and part of Monitor Township.
Monday's tour included stops at the Hampton Township farm of Mike Mulders, Bay Landscaping Inc. in Hampton Township, LeCronier's Baby Acres near Freeland and Helmreich Farms Inc. in Frankenlust Township.
"This tour has tremendous value because it gives the congressman a chance to learn about agriculture in Bay County, which is vital," said Bernie Bishop, who represents the Saginaw Valley Region for the Michigan Farm Bureau.
Bishop said the tour provided an opportunity for Kildee to learn about some of the challenges facing Bay County farmers, as well as to establish some relationships.
"When our members have a problem, they need to have a personal relationship with someone who understands what they are going through," Bishop said.
"We need to educate politicians all we can," added Mulders, who grows about 400 acres of cash crops and serves as president of the Bay County Farm Bureau.
Bay County Farm Bureau member Duane Scheuerlein, who organized the tour, said Kildee suggested the event.
"He's a new representative for our area and expressed interest in learning more about what kinds of agriculture we have in Bay County," said Scheurlein, who farms about 600 acres of corn, dry beans, soybeans and sugar beets in Frankenlust Township. "We tried to give him a good mix of the industry."
Kildee got a first-hand look at how potatoes are cleaned and bagged at Mulders Farm; he learned about the threat of the emerald ash borer while at Bay Landscaping; interacted with some friendly farm animals at LeCronier's; and gained some knowledge of sugar beets at Helmreich Farms.
In between stops, Scheurlein said he sprinkled in some tidbits about the area's dry bean industry.
"Elections are coming up next year, so it's a good idea for the congressman to get out and interact with the public," Scheurlein said. "Plus, I don't think they grow many sugar beets or dry beans in Genesee County, so it's a chance for him to learn a little bit."
- Rob Clark is business editor for The Times. He can be reached at 894-9642. |
