Is Congressional hopeful Blaine Luetkemeyer forming a minor league baseball team?

No, but he has established a “farm team” — 14 ranchers and others with agricultural expertise — to shore up the rural vote in the GOP primary for the Ninth Congressional District.

Luetkemeyer, who lives on his family farm in the tiny hamlet of St. Elizabeth, is borrowing a page from incumbent Kenny Hulshof’s playbook, who is also a farmer.

Both Luetkemeyer and Hulshof, now running for governor, have incorporated farming images into their commercials.

Luetkemeyer’s farm team includes former State Sen. John Cauthorn – a beef, pork and corn farmer — as well as State Reps. Tom Loehner, Steve Hobbs and Brian Munzlinger.

For more on the crowded Ninth District race — which includes five Republicans and four Democrats — check out today’s preview in the ink edition by Post-Dispatch writer Mark Schlinkmann.