{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398642", "Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 10.31.16", "2016-10-31", "2016", "2016-10", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Morgan Griffith", "G000568", "morgangriffith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Foundations of Farming and Forestry\r\nRecently, I highlighted ways nations build wealth \u2013 make it, mine it, or grow it.\u00a0 This week, I highlight the third way to build wealth. \r\nThe Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) lists agriculture as our Commonwealth\u2019s largest private industry.\u00a0 The economic impact of agriculture and forestry is $70 billion a year and provides 415,000 jobs in the state.\u00a0 Furthermore, these jobs each support another 1.6 jobs in the state economy.\r\nAccording to the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s most recent data, as of 2012, counties in the Ninth District are home to farms with livestock such as cattle, lamb, and poultry that mostly produce eggs.\u00a0 In August, among other places, I toured Green Valley Poultry Farm - Dutt and Wagner, a family farm processing an average of 680,000 eggs a day.\u00a0 I also visited the award-winning cattle farm, Hillwinds Farm in Dublin.\u00a0 The Ninth is also home to alpacas, horses and other equine, emu, geese, goat, hogs, llamas, ostriches, rabbits, sheep, and tilapia.\r\nWe also produce products such as apples, apricot, asparagus, beets, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cherries, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, kiwifruit, lettuce, melons, mushrooms, nectarines, onions, okra, peas, pears, peaches, peppers, plums, potatoes, pumpkins, soybeans, squash, spinach, strawberries, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and turnips.\u00a0 In fact, Carroll County is Virginia\u2019s largest pumpkin producer, according to Agriculture in the Classroom.\r\nFarmers in this region also grow grains, nuts, flowers, and Christmas trees.\u00a0 Further, we harvest honey and maple syrup.\u00a0 \r\nAlthough many people don\u2019t realize it, forestry is also a way to generate wealth through growing.\u00a0 Coincidently, the third week in October is National Forest Products Week.\u00a0 Forestry provides jobs and income to many, including jobs at WestRock in Covington and Henry County.\u00a0 In addition to jobs, forestry products play an important role in our day-to-day lives, filling a variety of needs in American houses, schools, and places of business, and are used for construction, fuel, and other assorted byproducts.\r\nWe are blessed to live in a place with so many opportunities to \u201cgrow\u201d wealth.\r\nFarming and forestry provide a way of life, and these traditions for us stretch back hundreds of years.\u00a0 In Virginia, nearly 90 percent of farms are still owned and operated by families or individuals, according to VDACS.\u00a0 \r\nFurther, VDACS also tells us that in the 1960s, one farmer supplied food for 25.8 people.\u00a0 Today, one Virginia farmer provides food for 155 people in the United States and abroad.\u00a0 \r\nOn top of the jobs, food, and products, VDACS outlines additional benefits of farming in the state, including opportunities for recreation, tourism, biodiversity and wildlife habitation, flood mitigation, and the ability to improve soil stabilization and water quality.\r\nIn support of the\u00a0family farm, I voted to eliminate the Death Tax (H.R. 1105).\u00a0 Because of the value of land and equipment, the Death Tax is a threat to our family farms.\u00a0 I hope the Senate will join the House to eliminate this tax.\r\nAnother major threat to our agriculture industry is the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, a controversial rule that redefines the scope of waters protected under the\u00a0Clean Water Act.\u00a0In doing so, it vastly expands EPA\u2019s authority over various wet areas.\u00a0 I voted to support the\u00a0Regulatory Integrity Protection Act\u00a0(H.R. 1732) which would require the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw their overreaching rule.\u00a0 \r\nI also voted for a Congressional Resolution of disapproval to negate WOTUS, S. J. Res. 22.\u00a0 This resolution passed both the House and Senate, but was vetoed by the President.\u00a0 I will continue to fight against harmful rules like the current proposed WOTUS rule.\r\nThe Ninth District is also fortunate to be the home of Virginia Tech.\u00a0 At Tech, they research and test cutting-edge technology that can improve the agriculture industry.\u00a0 They support research in livestock management, field crops, wine production, biofuels, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.*\r\nIn 1787, Thomas Jefferson told George Washington, \u201cAgriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.\u201d\r\nI am thankful for all who \u201cgrow\u201d wealth in the Ninth District, and appreciate their hard work in providing much-needed food and products.\u00a0 The farming and forestry industry have been pillars of the American economy since our founding, and will continue to provide valuable contributions to our economy.\r\nIf you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office.\u00a0 You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.\u00a0 To reach my office via email, please visit my website at\u00a0www.morgangriffith.house.gov.\u00a0 Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398642"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8900738321244717, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}