U.S. Representative Tom Petri (R-WI) received the Friend of Farm Bureau Award yesterday morning at the Kevin Krentz farm in the Town of Aurora in Waushara County. The annual award is given to Members of Congress nominated by their home state farm bureaus and approved by the American Farm Bureau Federation board of directors. “I’m honored to receive this award,” Petri said at Krentz farm on October 15. “American farming has changed over the past several decades and America’s farmers have had to change with it. Farming is not easy, and I admire the men and women who grow and raise the products that keep us going and that keep Wisconsin the dairy capital of the world. The least I can do is listen to them and take their voice to Washington.” Last year, Representatives Petri supported the reauthorization of the Farm Bill, which greatly benefited the dairy industry in Wisconsin by making needed changes to the dairy supply management program. The amendment allows farmers to manage risk without federal government controls, which keeps dairy prices affordable for consumers and businesses. Petri has long been a supporter of local farmers and has supported changes in the federal crop insurance program to save taxpayer dollars and put a greater focus on small family farms while still giving farmers a strong safety net. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s congressional award program is known as the Friend of Farm Bureau. This award is given to individuals who have supported Farm Bureau issues, as demonstrated by their voting records, and who were nominated by their respective state Farm Bureau and approved by the Board of Directors of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
