“The 1988 Farm Agenda in Congress” will be hosted by 14th District Congressman Dennis Hastert, R-Oswego, and his special guest Iowa Congressman Fred Grandy Monday, Jan. 25, in DeKalb.

Grandy, better known as “Gopher” on ABC’s former hit series “Love Boat,” is a freshman member of Congress. He serves on the Education and Labor Committee, as well as the House Agricultural Committee, said Hastert’s Administrative Assistant Peter Vroom.

Grandy represents a 23-county agricultural area of Iowa and serves on the subcommittees concerning wheat, soybeans and feed grains; conservation; credit and rural development; United States Dairy Association operations and research; and foreign agriculture, Vroom said.

“This meeting will give us an opportunity to discuss farm legislation approved in 1987 and then to focus in on farm issues likely to emerge during 1988,” Hastert said.

“It will also give local farmers an opportunity to talk directly with a member of the agricultural committee and to discuss how Washington’s farm policies impact on Illinois,” he said.

Issues passed during 1987’s first session, such as agricultural budget cuts of $500,000 and the re-haul of the farm credit system will be discussed, said Mark Wheat, legislative assistant to Hastert.

Wheat said agriculture probably will not see many big issues in Congress’ second session in 1988, because Congress is content with the farm bill signed in 1985.

He said agriculture might see a move to allow more sugar imports in the U.S.

Agenda in Congress, an agricultural town meeting, will begin at 8 a.m. and will be held at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau, 315 North 6th Street.