Agriculture
Randy grew up working on farms, frequently walking beans and doing chores. His in-laws run a livestock and crop farm in Sioux County, where he helps out along with his wife and four kids – spending many weekends bailing hay, loading hogs, vaccinating cattle, and maintaining seven finishing sites.
He knows first-hand that corn and soybean growers -- along with our livestock, egg, dairy, poultry, ethanol, and biodiesel producers -- form the backbone of the 4th District’s economy. As the second largest ag producing district in the country, Randy serves as a voice for Iowa's hardworking farmers, giving them a seat at the table on the House Agriculture Committee.
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More on Agriculture
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) introduced the Genome to Phenome Initiative Reauthorization Act, which would support continued agricultural research to expand knowledge of crop and animal genetics and phenomics. This includes critical research taking place at Iowa State University to increase crop yields while keeping costs low for Iowa farmers and producers.
As of Thursday February 27th, more than 166 million chickens and turkeys in the United States have been affected by High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI), a highly contagious and deadly disease that impacts poultry, cattle, and can even spread to humans. In my home state of Iowa alone, approximately 30 million birds have been infected with this virus since 2022 with more than 12 million being in my home county – Sioux County.
American farmers and ranchers undertake incredible responsibilities to feed and fuel our country and the world. They work long hours from sunup to sundown to ensure that our grocery stores and meat counties are fully stocked and we can enjoy nutritious meals. Yet, American agriculture faces a multitude of threats to this core mission.
Opening new export markets for Iowa farmers increases demand for our agricultural commodities and puts more money into the pockets of our producers. This is an especially important mission after four years of indifference and inaction under the Biden administration when President Biden failed to negotiate a single new trade agreement that would benefit agriculture. The Biden agenda instead pushed electric vehicles onto American families, curtailed American energy production, and imposed regulations like WOTUS on our farmers.
HULL, IOWA — Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) issued the following statement thanking U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for coming to Iowa:
Meeting with Iowans, listening to their ideas, and talking about policy proposals that can benefit our families, farmers, businesses, and manufacturers is a top priority for me. It’s why I travel to all 36 counties in the 4th Congressional District at least twice each year as part of my biannual 36 County Tour. Accountability and transparency are foundational to our representative system of government.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) issued the following statement after the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced that it would pause removal of 36 Aids to Navigation (ATONs) on the Missouri River north of Blencoe, Iowa:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) introduced the Fortifying Refrigeration Infrastructure and Developing Global Exports (FRIDGE) Act. This legislation would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture to negotiate contracts to deliver needs assessments, training, and other technical assistance to enhance infrastructure construction – including cold chain storage – in new and developing foreign markets.
On Tuesday March 18th, while on my fifth biannual 36 County Tour, I stopped in Estherville at Redwood Farms Meat Processors. On previous visits to Emmet County, I spoke at an Eggs & Issues town hall in Estherville, toured Art’s Way Manufacturing in Armstrong, visited AERO Race Wheels in Estherville, checked out the Estherville airport, and met with emergency manager coordinators and local bankers. Since launching my first 36 County Tour in 2021, I have made more than 320 stops meeting with families, farmers, small business owners, and many other Iowans.
HULL, IOWA – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) issued the following statement encouraging Iowa dairy farmers to enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage by the March 31st deadline: