I’m a small business owner in the Santa Maria agriculture community, and these past few years have been some of the hardest faced by farmers and ranchers on the Central Coast.

Not only are we being hit hard by the drought and environmental issues, we are being hit hard by our own government. There isn’t a day that goes by that a new tax or penalty on the agriculture community isn’t being considered or passed.

People who know nothing about what it takes to maintain crops and land are dictating our fate, and the only thing they’ve accomplished is greater inefficiency and excess regulations.

I’m supporting Justin Fareed for Congress because, as a third-generation cattle rancher and small businessman, he understands what it’s like to try to survive in a hostile market driven by federal overreach. After meeting and talking with him at my farm, I am confident in his abilities to rein-in regulations and implement lasting solutions to our water shortages.

And unlike his opponent, he fully understands the complex issues facing our agriculture community, from water issues to pesticides. Justin Fareed will be a true voice for us in Washington, and that’s something we desperately need.

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