Grassley begins another 99 county tour this week

by | Jan 5, 2016 | 5 Ag Stories, Audio, News

by Ben Nuelle

Senator Chuck Grassley kicks off his 36th 99 county tour across Iowa this week. Grassley will start in northeast Iowa touring 13 counties. Thursday he will make a stop at the Iowa Dairy Center.

?The Dairy Center is an educational and research facility that works to improve growth and prosperity for dairy farmers. The facility also houses 260 head milking herd. I am excited to see the robotics technology that is becoming very common on modern dairy farms,? Grassley says.

Grassley will also hear about current issues from dairy farmers.

?I?ll be asking people how the new dairy margin insurance program is working that we included in the last farm bill. The margin insurance program that copies crop insurance allowing dairy farmers to voluntarily insure a margin ranging from $4 per hundred weight to $8 per hundred weight,? Grassley says.

The program was intended to help guarantee dairy farmer income.

?I look forward to hearing from Iowans this week and throughout the year about their thoughts on public policy and any questions they may have at my town meetings for the 36th year in a row,? Grassley says.

Staff will give Grassley a private tour of Iowa?s Dairy Center with staff members of Northeast Iowa Community College and the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation. His visit will include a question and answer session with the public beginning at 1:45 p.m. in room 115 of the Dairy Center.