In the News

By: Morgan Donnelly | WSLS
http://www2.wsls.com/news/2012/aug/13/craig-county-farmers-meet-congressman-morgan-griff-ar-2129109/

From the farm lands of southwest Virginia to Washington DC., farmers are hoping their concerns are heard.

"Eminent domain and also estate tax which is very important to all farmers and we need relief on some of these things,” says J.C. Winstead.

"It is hard to survive when you have to pay these high prices, the EPA rules take all of the corn to make ethanol 40 percent of our corn to make ethanol instead of putting in the grain for the livestock,” says John Hunter.

Congressman Morgan Griffith got the chances to hear those concerns, while touring farms and talking to farmers in Pulaski, Montgomery, and Craig county. He says the concerns he heard, will play at role when he goes back to Washington.

"Take some of this information and when bills come up or amendments come up that deal with certain programs than we have a good idea of how the farmers feel in the 9th district,” says Congressman Griffith.

EPA regulations are a concern the congressman shared with the farmers.

"I joined Bob Goodlatte and his letter, joined Bob Goodlatte in the press conference to asking the EPA to back off those regulations at least for the next year if not longer term and by an large the farmers are saying food costs are going to go up,” says Congressman Griffith.

John Hunter raises cattle, and says he is glad the congressman is against the EPA regulations.

"Curtail some of the EPA wanting to put so much corn into the ethanol back off from that for a year or two or maybe longer would be better to where we can afford to feed the cattle and make better cattle,” says Hunter.

And hopes something can be done to help some of the farmers in southwest Virginia.