District Dispatch, 3/6/25
Advocating for agriculture in the nation's capital
A good Thursday morning to y’all from Washington, DC. I’m gearing up for the final day of the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Washington Legislative Conference where I and roughly 150 fellow farmers from across the state have gathered to discuss agricultural policy with our members of Congress and other key leaders. This is the first time I’ve been in DC since speaking at a USDA event in September 2023, and it’s safe to say the vibe around town is a little different than it was just eighteen months ago. We’ve enjoyed a good conference thus far, and I thought I’d share a little recap of my activities up to this point.
The conference kicked off Tuesday evening with a dinner at our hotel, during which ALFA President Jimmy Parnell moderated a panel discussion consisting of the presidents of three other state Farm Bureaus: Mike McCormick of Mississippi, David Fisher of New York, and Bryan Searle of Idaho. Hearing about which issues are most pressing to farmers from other parts of the country was very interesting, and it was also a good reminder of why it is so important we speak with a unified voice on the many issues we all face in common.
Most of Wednesday was spent on Capitol Hill. After breakfast and remarks from some of our Federation staff, we broke up into smaller groups for meetings with various members of Congress, congressional staffers, and agricultural agencies. My first stop was the Russell Senate Office Building for a briefing by Senate Ag Committee staffers about the ongoing work to draft a new Farm Bill. After lunch, I was part of a smaller group that met with Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-3) in his office in the Rayburn House Office Building. Rep. Lucas, a member (and past chairman) of the House Ag Committee, shared his perspective on what it will take to get the House’s version of a new Farm Bill out of committee and across the finish line. Both of these meetings confirmed Republican commitment to making much needed changes to current ag policy a reality, but they also highlighted how difficult it will be to put together a package that can receive the bipartisan support needed to ever make its way to the President’s desk. I’m still hopeful Congress will pass a new Farm Bill by the end of the year rather than extending the current one again, but I’m not expecting it to happen within the next few months.
After the small group meetings wrapped up, we all met up at the Eastern Market a few blocks from the Capitol to enjoy barbeque and visit with members of our Congressional delegation and their staff members. Senator Katie Britt was presented with the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Outstanding New Member of Congress Award by AFBF President Zippy Duvall, and Senator Tommy Tuberville spent several minutes sharing stories and answering questions.
This morning will kick off with a breakfast meeting between Rep. Robert Aderholt and farmers from Congressional District 4 at the Capitol Hill Club. Afterwards I’ll participate in a third small group meeting, this time with the chief ag staffer in Rep. Ronny Jackson’s (TX-13) office. The Conference will conclude with a group tour and dinner at Mt. Vernon this afternoon/evening. I’ll fly to Birmingham on Friday morning and should be back on the farm an in Lamar County by lunchtime.
Until next time…