House ag leader sounds off on farm issues, economy [Appleton Post-Crescent]
Peterson: Higher gas prices needed to force changes
By Ed Byrne
FREEDOM — Rep. Collin Peterson flew Sunday into northeast Wisconsin to attend the Outagamie County Breakfast on the Farm and visit an experimental manure-to-energy project at the Wiese Brothers Farms in Greenleaf.
Peterson, D-Minn., who chairs the House Agriculture Committee, also endorsed the re-election bid of Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, who serves on the committee.
Kagen is being challenged by Republican John Gard, whom he defeated two years ago.
Peterson credited Kagen for helping to get the Milk Income Loss Contract program in the new farm bill.
“I look at the farm bill as the most important economic stimulus package we have,” Kagen said. “It is long term, it takes a while to grow the products and get the marketplace going, but for rural America it is the most important economic success story.”
