Political Quotes

“All over rural America, we are seeing the decline of family-based agriculture. And while we want to look at the broader picture as to how we can help family farmers in dairy or in any other commodity, I think one way that we can move forward, and I am glad that the majority agrees, is to start emphasizing agritourism. All over this country, in Vermont and in rural America, billions of dollars are being spent by tourists who go to rural areas. Yet, unfortunately, family farmers who in most cases are the folks who are keeping the land open and keeping the land beautiful are not receiving the kinds of funds from the tourists that they should and that they deserve. To my mind, as we see the decline of family-based agriculture, what we are seeing in Vermont and all over this country is that agritourism is putting hard cash into the pockets of family farmers.”