The week before the midterm election, Missouri congressman Sam Graves posted on his Facebook page a feature about him from the family farm that aired on the U.S. Farm Report weekend television show.
After 26 years in Congress, Graves says to an extent that his retirement will mean losing a farmer's voice in Washington.
The U.S. Farm Report story says that no more than two percent of Americans have a direct tie to farming or ranching. And Graves says that makes it more challenging to show federal lawmakers the challenges that those in agriculture are facing.
He also says he gets back to the family farm as often as possible during fall harvest to help his son, his brother, his nephews, and his 92-year-old father who still drives a combine.
