U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9), a farmer and small businessman, has again been honored by the American Farm Bureau Federation with the ‘Friend of Farm Bureau’ award for his efforts on behalf of hard-working American farm families. Luetkemeyer, who previously served on the House Agriculture Committee, also received the award in 2010 for his work in the last Congress.

“As a small farmer, I remain committed to addressing critical issues facing our farm communities and am honored to receive this award from the Farm Bureau Federation,” said Luetkemeyer, who owns and still works his 160-acre farm near St. Elizabeth, Mo. “I will continue to work in Washington as a strong voice for our hard-working farmers and ranchers in Missouri and across the nation.”

The award is given to individuals who have supported issues important to farmers and ranchers across America, as shown by their voting records, and who were nominated by their respective state Farm Bureau and approved by the Board of Directors of the American Farm Bureau Federation. The voting records were based on issues selected by the American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors.

“Congressman Luetkemeyer listens to farmers and it shows in his voting record,” said Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst. “He is willing to tackle tough issues and we can count on him to be a strong voice for agriculture. We are thrilled to call him a ‘Friend of Farm Bureau.’”

Most recently, Luetkemeyer supported reauthorization of the much-needed disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers who faced catastrophic drought conditions throughout the summer. Additionally, Luetkemeyer is a strong proponent for passage of a five-year farm bill and recently sent a letter to House leaders requesting that the bill be brought to the House floor.