Presidential Race: Candidates Respond to Questions by the American Farm Bureau Federation The final question was: Why should farmers and ranchers vote for you? Sen. Obama replied: During my time in the Illinois Senate and in the U.S. Senate, I’ve had the great privilege of representing some of America’s hardest working and most productive farmers. And farmers have helped teach me how important this sector is to the nation. We depend on agriculture to provide food, feed, fiber and fuel, and it’s vital that federal policies help our farmers make a living and contribute to our nation’s food security....