02/28/07 Brooklyn lawmaker honored by NAWG

Farm and Ranch February 28, 2007 For the National Association of Wheat Growers to give a Wheat Advocate Award to a lawmaker from the northern Plains, say, isn't surprising. But how about to a congresswoman from New York City? Brooklyn. Well, New York Congresswoman Nydia Valazquez, chair of the Small Business Committee, was one of the recipients of the 2006 Wheat Advocate Award for her efforts to reach out to rural members and her interests on ag issues. NAWG lobbyist Mark Gaede says Valazquez shares the importance of agriculture with her constituents. Gaede: "Typical of Congresswoman Valazquez attitude towards agriculture, in a public forum she once pointed out that she wanted to let her Brooklyn constituents know that bread doesn't come from Safeway or The Giant, but that their bread comes from members of the National Association of Wheat Growers." Gaede says as Chair of the House Small Business Committee Valazquez can do a lot for rural communities. Gaede: "In fact she specifically wants to focus on renewable energy. In fact they have just added a new staff position on that committee to deal just with agricultural issues." Gaede says Valazquez is not the only example of how urban members of Congress can help rural America and agriculture. He says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a Rural Working Group. That working group is headed up by Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth of South Dakota who won NAWG's highest honor, the 2006 Wheat Leader of the Year award. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.