Today, Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) applauded Governor Rick Snyder’s written request to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for a disaster designation for fruit farmers in southwest Michigan who are facing one of the worst crop losses in decades. A mild winter followed by unseasonably warm temperatures in March caused Michigan fruit trees to bud early, only to be wiped out by typical April freezes. Last week, Upton met with several growers in Berrien County and got a firsthand loo... Read more

This morning, Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) got a firsthand look at the devastation wrought on southwest Michigan fruit farmers by unseasonably warm temperatures this March followed by April freezes. Upton toured three Berrien County farms to survey the recent damage to local fruit crops – including apples, cherries, grapes, and peaches – which in many cases have been completely decimated. Following the tours, Upton took part in a roundtable discussion with several area farmers concernin... Read more

On Tuesday, Congressman Fred Upton got a firsthand look at the problems Michigan farmers are facing. Unseasonably warm temperatures in March followed by freezes in April devastated fruit farms in Michigan. On Tuesday, Congressman Fred Upton got a firsthand look at the problems Michigan farmers are facing. Upton toured local farms and took part in a roundtable discussion with area farmers facing big crop losses this season. Upton says, “This is not just a grower problem because it is virtually ev... Read more

The record-setting high temperatures in March devastated fruit crops throughout Michigan and brought US Rep. Fred Upton to local fruit farms in southwest Michigan Wednesday. The congressman - who chairs the Commerce committee in the House of Representatives -- also took part in a roundtable discussion with area farmers. Rodney Winkel is a third-generation fruit grower, but this year he won't be growing much. Normally on his 240-acre orchard he would "get somewhere near 800-900 bushels to the acr... Read more

Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) voted in support of the three Free Trade Agreements (FTA), South Korea (H.R. 3080), Panama (H.R. 3079) and Columbia (H.R. 3078). The South Korea FTA passed the House by a vote of 278 - 151. The Panama FTA passed the House by a vote of 300 - 129. The Columbia FTA passed the House by a vote of 262 - 167. All three bills passed with bipartisan support and now await Senate approval. “These groundbreaking agreements will bring significant benefits to Michigan by expandin... Read more

Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) yesterday completed a three-day series of 18 public listening sessions that included stops in Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties. The events, which were held from March 22-24, were attended by thousands of southwest Michigan residents. The listening tour allowed constituents to share their views with Upton on issues facing Michigan and the country. Some of the federal matters that were discussed included jobs and the econom... Read more