The Zipline: Making the most of congressional recess

Members of Congress will soon return home to their states and districts for the traditional August recess. Then after a brief time back in Washington, they will once again be back home to campaign in October.

This means Congress has a narrow window left to get business done this year, but it also means farmers and ranchers will have extra opportunities to engage with lawmakers in their own backyards — or even barnyards.

Congressional recess is prime time for grassroots advocacy, and I would like to encourage everyone to step up and help drive agriculture forward in this season.

Every year, the American Farm Bureau Federation encourages grassroots members to engage with lawmakers when they’re back home.

Congressional recess gives you the opportunity not only to share your story with your representatives, senators and their staff, but also to show them how policies are affecting you and your farm.

This can be your chance to invite your members of Congress out to your farm, to help them better understand the challenges you’re facing and the critical role that agriculture plays in your community and across the nation.

Visiting even one farm or ranch can make all the difference because it puts a real face, a real family with each issue.

It’s one thing to tell a member of Congress that farmers rely on the farm bill, it’s another for you to show them the fields you would have lost without risk management tools, or the soil you’ve restored through voluntary conservation programs.

And talking about taxes might sound dry in a congressional office, but that issue gets heartfelt and personal when you sit across the table from a family who fears losing the farm because of estate taxes.

Help your members of Congress see that when it comes to issues that matter to agriculture, a sound bite and a handshake won’t save your farm, but sound policy can.

I urge you to make the most of every opportunity to engage off the farm, too — whether that be inviting members of Congress and their staff to your county Farm Bureau meetings or showing up to a town hall that they are hosting in your area.

With August also being peak county fair season, that’s another great opportunity for our lawmakers to engage with agriculture, meet farmers and learn about how we care for our land and animals.

Finally, one of the most fundamental ways we as Americans can make our voices heard is through the ballot box.

As we near election season, our team at the American Farm Bureau is committed to helping you connect with the resources and information you need to ensure your voice is heard.

Our iFarmiVote page — www.fb.org/advocacy/ifarmivote — is a great one-stop shop for the latest updates and information on voting in your area.

Our newest tool makes it easier than ever to understand the voting rules and timelines for your state and district.

Several state Farm Bureaus also have great voter resources, and we also connect members to state-level iFarmiVote programs through our website.

You might think one voice can’t be heard when it comes to government. But, as the leading “Voice of Agriculture,” we have seen time and again that our strength as an organization comes from farmers and ranchers showing up to tell their stories.

When your voice is joined by countless others across the Farm Bureau family, lawmakers will hear — all the way from your home to the halls of Congress.