A farm background, and the emphasis it places on people working together, brings the type of experience that’s helpful to getting things done in Congress, said Rep. David Valadao, R-CA, in the latest Dairy Defined podcast.

“Every time a salesman shows up on your property, they might be trying to sell you a product you might not like that day, but the following day, they're going to have stuff you might like. And so to just cut off communication with someone because you disagree with them one day, doesn't mean you cut off communication forever,” said Valadao, the only dairy farmer serving in Congress. “I do believe in Congress. For you to legislate good policy, you have to have everyone at the table and be able to have a conversation about the topic. It forces you, one, to understand the issue, but two, to hear it from both sides and try to represent our areas as best we possibly can.”