OH-16: John Boccieri Joins 50 Farmers for Forum

Boccieri Joins More than 50 Farmers at Wayne County Forum

This Saturday, candidate for U.S. Congress John Boccieri OH-16) sat down with farmers, ranchers, veterinarians and milk haulers in the barn of John Anderson for an in-depth discussion of local agriculture issues.

Boccieri, who sits on the Agriculture Committee in the Ohio Senates said:

"In a state where agriculture is the top industry and one in seven jobs are tied to it, it's vital that we hear directly from our farmers about their priorities and concerns. The 16th District contains some of the most agriculturally productive regions in Ohio, and I'm going to go to Washington and fight to make sure our farmers succeed."

The Wayne County forum at Summerhill Farm focused on a wide range of issues, especially farmers' struggles with complicated state and federal regulations and their eagerness to explore agriculturally-based alternative energy technologies.

Attendees pointed out that the high number of dairy cows in Wayne County make it a perfect location for the testing of anaerobic digesters - technology that can extract methane gas from cow manure to be used for power generation, while the remaining solid product is highly concentrated fertilizer.

Many farmers present were also eager to pursue cultivation of next-generation biofuels like switchgrass on land that is unsuitable for other crops. They noted that the Ohio Agricultural and Research Development Center (OARDC) is currently researching cellulosic ethanol and anaerobic digester technology.

One participant said:

"The more locally you produce your energy, the more secure and sustainable you become."

Farmers at the forum also emphasized the need to attract more young people to their profession and ease taxes and regulations to encourage the transfer of farm property to the next generation.

Boccieri said following the forum:
"We have such a great opportunity to make our rural communities in this district the producers and exporters of cutting-edge alternative energy. I want to see to it that Washington helps our farmers develop those technologies, and that our agricultural programs and policies are structured to help farmers prosper."

Sen. Sherrod Brown was unable to attend the Farmers' Forum because he was working with other leaders in Washington on a solution to the nation's financial crisis. Several members of his staff attended the event in his place.

We'll be posting soon on "Lunch With John At Pileggio's" in the meantime, mark your calender!

What: AFL-CIO Canvass Kickoff
When: Tuesday, September 30, 11:30PM
Where: Golden Lodge, 1234 Harrison Ave., SW
Notes: Help us spread John and the rest of the Democrats message and encourage voters to vote early. For more details, please email Chris at cccupples@yahoo.com

...and, don't forget to vote!