Today is National Potato Day, and that is why this week’s Ag Spotlight goes to Bruce Flewelling, a potato farmer in Easton, Maine, for being named the Maine Potato Board’s family of the year. Bruce Flewelling, the fifth generation of Flewelling farmers, oversees 900 acres of potato fields, and his two sons will continue the farming operation. Jerry Flewelling, Bruce’s father, continues in “semi-retirement” to help drive trucks, operate farm equipment and combine grain. Congratulations to the Flewelling family on this outstanding achievement!

Idaho farmers began growing potatoes in 1836, and today Idaho leads the nation in potato production. Did you know during the Alaskan Klondike gold rush, gold was more plentiful than nutritious food, which made potatoes more valuable than gold? #NationalPotatoDay

August is National Peach Month! The peach plant is described as a small, deciduous tree that grows up to 25 to 30 feet tall, and widely grown in the United States, Europe, and China. Peaches are grown commercially in 28 states, and they are the third most popular fruit grown in America. The top four peach-producing states are California, South Carolina, Georgia and New Jersey. Although Georgia is known as the Peach State, California actually produces more than 50% of the peaches in the U.S.

Did you know the term, “you’re a real peach” originated from the tradition of giving a peach to the friend you like? Happy #NationalPeachMonth!

This week’s Ag Spotlight goes to Tyler Wegmeyer of Wegmeyer Farms in Loudoun County for being named the Virginia Cooperative Extension 2016 Virginia Farmer of the Year! Wegmeyer operates a diversified 250-acre fruit and vegetable farm. The farm consists of three you-pick strawberry locations, four you-pick pumpkin locations, a vegetable community-supported agriculture venture and a large separate agritourism farm. Wegmeyer utilizes the latest technology and conservation practices in all aspects of his business to help preserve the environment. His long list of agricultural leadership roles includes serving on the boards of the Virginia Strawberry Association, Southern States Cooperative, Loudoun County Heritage Farm Museum and as past president of the Loudoun County Farm Bureau. Congratulations on your much-deserved achievement!

Today is National Watermelon Day! The watermelon is thought to have originated in the Kalahari Desert of Africa, and the first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt. By weight, watermelons are the most-consumed melon in the United States, which currently ranks 5th in worldwide production of watermelons. Forty-four states grow watermelons with Florida, Texas, California, Georgia and Arizona consistently leading the country in production. Did you know watermelons are 92% water? #NationalWatermelonDay

July is National Blueberry Month! Blueberries are native to North America and were first cultivated for sale in 1916, and the United States is the world’s largest producer of blueberries. Blueberry bushes can pop up all over the U.S., and 38 states are known to grow blueberries. Michigan is the nation's leading producer of cultivated blueberries followed by Washington, Georgia and Oregon. Did you know that the early American colonists boiled them with milk to make gray paint? #NationalBlueberryMonth

A new post for our Homegrown blog is up. Meet Shawn Holladay, a fourth-generation cotton grower in Texas, who loves his land and has withstood countless challenges running his family's business.

This morning, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to examine the CFTC’s proposed rule, Regulation Automated Trading (Reg AT). Algorithmic trading is essential to our futures markets, but with new technology comes the challenge of appropriately regulating these markets. While the intent of Reg AT is to reduce the risk of market disruptions and increase the transparency of algorithmic trading systems, this rule falls short of the CFTC’s goals. It is my hope that the Commission will reconsider the broad scope and sweeping requirements of this rule.

Hot dog, it’s National Hot Dog Month! This tasty, summer favorite came from Germany and was popularized in the United States. There is no doubt that American’s love hot dogs, in fact, the average American eats about 50 hot dogs every year! Not to mention, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimated that Americans ate 150 million hot dogs this Independence Day alone. Did you know Joey Chestnut holds a world record for eating 73 hot dogs (with buns) in 10 minutes? #NationalHotDogMonth

Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to examine the on-the-ground experiences of former military leaders and the connection between agricultural policy and national security. This is the fifth hearing in the committee’s hearing series focused on national security. Members heard from a panel of former military leaders who described how the United States' longstanding investment in the agriculture industry has led to its success and stability, which is inexplicably linked to our national security. Sound farm policy is, and continues to be, an integral piece of our ability to prevent food insecurity in this country. I want to thank our panel for sharing their experiences and giving us a better global understanding of the importance of maintaining and protecting a safe food supply.

This morning, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on #SNAP to discuss ways in which program integrity measures can be improved upon. Members heard from a panel of witnesses who discussed what tools are used to report on quality control measures, the differences between error rates and fraud, what factors determine the reported rates, and how these measurements are used to better the program. Millions of Americans rely on food assistance, which is why it’s important we continue to not only find improvements to SNAP, but ensure the program remains transparent and accountable to American taxpayers.

Happy Independence Day from the House Agriculture Committee! #LetFreedomRing

“It will be celebrated with pomp and parade…bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.”
–John Adams

Last night, several members of the House Agriculture Committee, including myself, participated in the 55th Annual Roll Call Congressional Baseball Game for Charity. Rep. Rodney Davis, Representative Trent Kelly, Rep. Doug LaMalfa and Rep. John Moolenaar contributed to the Republicans' nail-biting win over the Democrats, which ended a seven year losing streak! This fun, bipartisan showdown helps raise money for three local DC charities, the Washington Literacy Center, The Boys and Girls Club, and the Washington National Dreams Foundation. Congratulations to all my fellow teammates on the field and on #HouseAg!

Today, the House Agriculture General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee held a hearing to educate members about the innovations in aerial agricultural imagery and technology. This is the second hearing in the subcommittee’s series to examine information technology, or #BigData, and its role in the industry. The subcommittee heard from a variety of stakeholders who spoke to the usefulness of each type of aerial imagery, along with the recent innovations made in gathering and distributing imagery information to the agricultural community. Our producers continue to lead the way in major agricultural game-changers, and imagery and mapping technology is one of those achievements. This innovative technology is the foundation of precision agriculture and serves as a building block for the future.

Today marks the summer solstice, which is the first official day of summer. The folks in the Northern hemisphere will see more daylight today than any other day of the year. So, if you are looking to soak up some sun, today would be the day to do it!

I would like to wish all the dads out there a Happy Father’s Day on behalf of the House Agriculture Committee. Being a father is one of the most important jobs in the world.

This week’s Ag Spotlight goes to Joey Rott, a farmer in Clay Center, Kansas, who sadly lost his wife, Casi, in February from complications 10 days after she delivered healthy triplets. Joey found himself alone on the farm with three new babies and the couple’s two other children. It is a constant uphill battle for Joey as he tries to care for his children while managing the farm. Fortunately, Joey has received much help from his family and generous people in his community and around the country who were affected by his family's story. Our thoughts and prayers go out to this brave, young father and his family as they continue to move on from their loss.

This morning, the Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit, chaired by Rep. Austin Scott, held its final hearing in a series examining the impact of the Dodd-Frank Act on derivatives markets. Members of the subcommittee reviewed the impact of mandatory clearing and trade execution requirements on markets and end-users. Throughout this hearing series, we’ve discussed challenges with the implementation and global coordination of market reforms envisioned by the G20 following the 2008 financial crisis. I would to thank Mr. Scott for holding these important hearings on the importance of maintaining efficiency and integrity in the derivatives markets while minimizing any potential impact on businesses that use these markets to manage their risks.

This afternoon, the House Agriculture Committee debuted our new blog, Homegrown, to chronicle daily life of American farmers and ranchers from the perspective of producers. From food to fiber to biofuels, farmers and ranchers cultivate their land day in and day out to provide the nation with the safest, most abundant and affordable food and fiber supply in the world. Throughout the year, Homegrown will feature periodic updates from producers in various parts of the country. In the opening Homegrown entry, live on the committee’s website, we meet Noah Hultgren, a fourth generation farmer who grows corn, sugar beets and kidney beans, as well as a few other field crops. Read more about Hultgren Farms to see what life as a Minnesota farmer is really like!