Are there other issues that affect rural ag environments that the general public isn’t aware of?
Lincoln Never Wavers In Support of Agriculture Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s support of agriculture has gained her many friends in the cotton industry. Two leaders who can attest to that support are Louisiana producer Jay Hardwick and Arkansas producer-ginner Larry McClendon. Hardwick is the current chairman of the National Cotton Council, while McClendon is the organization’s board chairman. Both men have spent years working with Lincoln on farm policy while serving in NCC leadership positions. McClendon farms and gins in Marianna, Ark., which is about 20 miles from Helena, Lincoln’s childhood home. Lincoln’s mother, Martha Kelly Lambert, still resides in Helena. Her father died in 2002. “I’ve known her family for many years, and the first time I met Blanche was when she was a young teenager,” says McClendon. “She represents rural America’s values in a very passionate way. We are lucky to have her in Washington.” Agricultural Priorities McClendon isn’t surprised by Lincoln’s meteoric rise in
