Rock Island Today

Illinois state Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) reminded his voters that he is a farmer as the general election nears.

“As a farmer, I know that Illinois farmers have a tremendous impact on our local, state, and national economies,” Swanson said on Facebook this week. “We serve others through our work.”

Swanson is facing Democratic candidate Christopher Demink in the November election.

In August, Swanson, a hog and corn farmer, visited the Chicago Ag Science High School.

“The Chicago Ag Science High School is the last working farm in the City of Chicago and keeping this open and available to students in urban areas is very important for those who may be interested in an agriculture career,” he said in a release on his website. “Students focus on one of 7 career pathways through their high school experience.”

In July, Swanson spread the word that farmers could enroll in Illinois’ reopened land conservation program, another website release reported. The Illinois Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is run by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency (FSA). It is one of the oldest and most popular conservation programs in the nation and an important tool in addressing natural resources conservation.

Swanson also took part in the IBA Summer Conference & IFGC Forage Expo in Macomb, a June Rock Island Today report said.

“My intern Rebecka and I attended the IBA Summer Conference & IFGC Forage EXPO at Spoon River College, Community Outreach Center in Macomb,” he said on Facebook.