Nebraska Farm Bureau, Courtesy
LINCOLN — Using examples from their own lives and businesses, members of the 2023 class of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Leadership Academy explained how vital the Farm Bill is to farmers and ranchers during a national affairs visit to Washington, D.C.
The visit capped off a yearlong leadership training program to help individuals with personal growth and development, public speaking skills, and training on how to advocate for Nebraska’s farm and ranch families.
“It’s important participants in this program have a first-hand experience in how government works and the role they can play in helping make sure the issues important to their farms and ranches are presented to their elected leaders,” said Jordan Dux, Nebraska Farm Bureau senior director of national affairs, who facilitated the Leadership Academy visit.
While the Farm Bill continues to be entangled in political debates, it provides an important opportunity for policymakers to address agricultural and food issues. Leadership Academy members, which consist of farms and ranchers from across Nebraska, met with Nebraska’s Congressional Delegation and spoke of the critical need for federal crop insurance programs and oppose any tie of climate focused practices to the crop insurance programs, include incentive programs.
“The Farm Bill expires at the end of September, so it is vital that lawmakers not only pass a Farm Bill but that it includes the important components that farm and ranch families rely on, including a strong safety net, reforms to USDA disaster programs, increased funding for the Foreign Market Development program and Market Assistance Program, and a legislative fix for California’s Proposition 12, among other programs,” said Dux
Members of the Leadership Academy expressed concern over the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold California’s Proposition 12 which effectively gives California voters the ability to dictate food production practices to farmers and ranchers located outside of their state’s borders, including Nebraska. Those on the trip thanked all five of Nebraska’s Congressional Delegation for co-sponsoring the Exposing Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act.
“Farmers and ranchers share the goal of ensuring animals are well cared for, but this law fails to advance that goal and has serious consequences, including increased prices at the grocery stores that will hit families on a budget the hardest. Including a fix to this legislation in the new Farm Bill is a natural fit,” said Dux.
Growing markets for Nebraska agricultural products was also on the list of issues addressed by Leadership Academy members.
“Members of the Academy did a great job vocalizing their concern over Mexico’s proposed Genetically Modified white corn ban and the need to quickly resolve the issue by not allowing Mexico to move forward with this blatant violation of the U.S., Mexico, Canada Agreement (USMCA). They also pointed out that the Biden administration has done little on trade since taking office and asked Congress to help send a message to the rest of the world that the U.S. is open for business by expanding trade with new partners around the world,” said Dux.
Besides visiting with Nebraska’s Congressional Delegation, the Nebraska Farm Bureau Leadership Academy met with officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Rural Broadband Association, Syngenta, and Dr. John Newton, chief economist for the Senate Ag Committee.
Leadership Academy members that participated in the visit to Washington, D.C. included:
- Jakob Andreasen, West Point (Cumming County Farm Bureau)
- Caitlin Blessin, Hastings (Adams/Webster County Farm Bureau)
- Emily Haxby, Clatonia (Gage County Farm Bureau)
- Parker Jessen, Oshkosh (Morrill County Farm Bureau)
- Diane Karr, Blue Hill (Adams/Webster County Farm Bureau)
- Ryan Musgrave, Ong (Clay County Farm Bureau)
- McKenna Schlueter, Blair (Washington County Farm Bureau)
- Ayla Smith, Palisade (Hayes County Farm Bureau)
- Kat White, Minden (Kearney/Franklin County Farm Bureau)
- Emily Young, Minden (Kearney/Franklin County Farm Bureau)
