Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Claire McCaskill has completed a two-day tour of the state’s rural areas, having heard from farmers, ranchers, and others concerned about strengthening family farms and improving rural economies. The trip began Thursday morning in St. Joseph, followed by visits to Maryville, Kirksville, and Palmyra. Today’s stops were in Ashland, Carl Junction, and Willard. McCaskill’s message zeroed in on the plight of family farmers who are struggling to make ends meet. She spoke of the growing dominance of corporate agriculture, unbalanced trade policies, and other concerns negatively impacting small farms and rural towns throughout the state. McCaskill supports continued local control over confined animal feeding operations, country-of-origin labeling, and fair trade policies. She opposes a mandatory national animal identification system. McCaskill has pledged to design a 2007 Farm Bill that helps family farms, not factory farms.
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Claire McCaskill for U.S. Senate