Since I was first elected, I have traveled to every county in Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District at least twice a year as part of my 36 County Tour. It’s a commitment that I made to my constituents that I would be transparent and accessible, offering meaningful solutions to the problems facing our rural communities, state, and nation.

Since beginning my 36 County Tour, I have visited Calhoun County nine times. Some of my recent trips include a town hall at Double D’s Ice Cream in Manson and a great tour at the Stewart Memorial Community Hospital — which is one of very few rural hospitals that deliver babies — in Lake City. My stops educate me on the priorities of the people of the Fourth District and equip me with the information that I need to advocate for our families, farmers, businesses, and rural communities in Congress.

My most recent stop on Feb. 20 took me to Rockwell City where I met with the management of Fareway Grocery. Local grocery stores are vital to support and strengthen our rural communities by providing fresh and affordable produce and foods. Local grocers also strengthen our rural economies. According to the USDA, local food sales represent a growing share of our food economy. Often, members of smaller surrounding communities and families living outside of town rely on a single grocery store in “bigger” towns. This draws our communities closer together and brings more revenue to other Main Street businesses. I am very happy that Fareway is investing in rural Iowa so that our families have access to affordable, healthy food.

While touring Fareway, I also discussed the need to pass the Farm Bill so that we can deliver relief for our farmers and producers as well as reduce the cost of groceries. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, I have 10 bills included in the Farm Bill, all supporting our local farmers, families, and producers. It is so important to ensure that agriculture — our economic engine in Iowa — remains successful, and getting the Farm Bill signed into law is an important step in that process.

I also recently introduced the Death Tax Repeal Act to permanently eliminate the death tax on our family farms and small businesses. This egregious double tax unfairly targets American family farms and small businesses and directly threatens long-held farming traditions in rural Iowa and across the country. I will continue working to reduce costs of groceries, grow our small businesses, and support our farm producers.

Additionally, representing the top egg-producing congressional district in the country, it is a top priority for me to get the bird flu outbreak under control, support our producers as they work to repopulate their flocks, and bring egg prices down for our families. That’s why I led a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins asking that the USDA do everything possible to address this crisis, proactively prevent the spread of foreign animal disease, and help our farmers mitigate outbreaks when they occur. We must also look toward an aggressive strategy to protect our flocks from disease, establish a Strategic Initiative to combat the spread of bird flu, and make indemnity payment rates fairer for our producers. I look forward to working with the Trump administration and Secretary Rollins to promote biosecurity on our farms, lower the price of eggs, and support our farmers and producers throughout this process.

I appreciate Dave Kistenmacher and the other Fareway employees for welcoming me. I will continue to travel around the Fourth District listening to the concerns and issues that matter most to Iowans. I look forward to being back in Calhoun County soon.

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Hull, represents Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District.