Recently, I had the privilege of joining the Pittsylvania County Farm Bureau for its annual meeting. Each fall, local farm bureaus gather farmers across Virginia and the country for fellowship and to discuss policies at the federal, state and local levels that will support an industry vital to our nation since its inception. Farmers and their families gather together to recognize another year of hard work not only feeding the country and the world, but also essential to the economies of our rural communities.

Agriculture is the backbone of our economy in Virginia and remains a critically important factor in our economic well-being. Combined with forestry, agriculture represents the largest segment of Virginia’s economy, generating more than $70 billion annually and accounting for nearly 415,000 jobs across the commonwealth. Our nation owes much of its prosperity to its deeply rooted history of agriculture, and we continue to rely heavily on its significant contributions to our economy and our country. Preserving and fostering our great legacy of family farming in Virginia has always been one of my top priorities and its importance continues to transcend generations.

At the federal level, there is no question excessive environmental regulation remains a top concern for our family farmers, which has only become more problematic under the current administration. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalized a rule that would unilaterally expand the Clean Water Act’s scope to essentially any body of water — including ditches, culverts and farmland ponds. This unilateral decision by EPA bureaucrats has significantly increased both uncertainty and costs on our family farmers while ignoring the fact Congress is the only institution with the authority to change the law.

Luckily, a federal appeals court put this regulatory overreach on hold and it is my hope the agencies’ effort is scrapped entirely considering the consequences it could have for our agricultural producers. Our nation’s farmers invest significantly in clean water to ensure the sustainability of the environment. It is my hope our next president is much more supportive and appreciative of our agricultural economy and will stand to support these jobs through a more reasonable regulatory approach.

I cannot help make the government more responsive to the needs of agriculture without hearing from our local growers and producers, so I always greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet with some of our hardworking 5th District Virginians. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to put forth policies that support our robust agriculture industry.

Robert Hurt represents Farmville, Buckingham, Cumberland and Prince Edward in the U.S. House of Representatives. He can be reached at his Farmville office at (434) 395-0120 or by email at hurt.house.gov.