DTN) -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has some big names in agriculture and GOP politics on his agricultural and rural advisory committee to generate ideas for boosting the farm economy and rural America.
The 64-person committee announced by the campaign on Tuesday has five current members of Congress, including the chairmen of both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees; as well as eight current or former governors; nine current or former state agriculture secretaries; and three former USDA secretaries or deputies, including former Secretary of Agriculture John Block, who served under President Ronald Reagan.
The committee also includes a wide range of farmers who have served as leaders in their respective statehouses or in various agricultural organizations.
"The members of my agricultural advisory committee represent the best that America can offer to help serve agricultural communities," Trump said in a news release. "Many of these officials have been elected by their communities to solve the issues that impact our rural areas every day. I'm very proud to stand with these men and women, and look forward to serving those who serve all Americans from the White House."
Members of the committee stretch from Maine to California, but the core of the group represent states in the Midwest and Plains that reliably vote Republican in the presidential race. Still, at least some of the committee members come from key battleground states such as Iowa.