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Illinois house ag members work to bridge political and industry gaps

Two members of the Illinois House Ag Committee are working to narrow the divide between urban and rural agriculture and their political parties.

“Especially on a national level we seem to be in such a polarized climate.”

House Ag Committee Chairwoman Sonya Harper, a Democrat from Chicago with a background in urban agriculture, toured farms and ag businesses in Republican Representative Charlie Meier’s district this week.

Meier who owns a grain and livestock farm in Okawville tells Brownfield working relationships outside of the capitol are very important.

“We must continue to work together to keep this industry going. Without that, Illinois would be in worse severe financial trouble than we are right now because this is our largest industry.”

Meier plans to join Harper in her district to tour urban agriculture operations and the Chicago Board of Trade.

Harper says, “I think activities like these helps us to learn more about each other’s communities and helps us to realize that we really have more in common than we have differences and that we should work together on some of those common values.”

The Maschhoff’s swine operation, Wehmeyer Seed and Top Ag were just a few of the stops on the tour.

Harper and Meier say expanding rural broadband and making Illinois more dependent on its own food supply are top priorities for the Illinois House Ag committee.