Congress recesses legislative business in Washington, D.C. so members can visit constituents within their home districts periodically throughout the year. The Mississippi Congressional Delegation and their staff spend this time visiting with constituents, hosting town hall meetings, touring new factories and projects, and discussing issues with various interest groups.

Farm Bureau utilizes this time to take the members and their staff to visit with producers on their farms and ranches to hear firsthand the challenges and priorities that Congress can work on to support Mississippi’s farm community. We use our farm network across the state to advocate our priority issues, as these members of Congress want to hear directly from farmers and ranchers as constituents and voters.

Farm Bureau and the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinarian Medicine had the opportunity to host six congressional staff during the Memorial Day recess on a farm tour across Mississippi to discuss our various priorities and perspectives, as it relates to the 2023 Farm Bill.  Members of the tour included Semaj Redd (Office of U.S. Congressman Trent Kelly), Anna May (Office of U.S. Congressman Michael Guest), Blake Nolan (Office of U.S. Congressman Mike Ezell), Murray Miller (Office of U.S. Congressman Bruce Westerman from Arkansas), Halee Fisher (U.S. House Agriculture Committee) and Harlea Hoelscher (U.S. House Agriculture Committee).

The tour included stops at Aguzzi Farms in Cleveland, Nobile Fish Farms in Morehead, and Dantzler and Pilkinton Farms in Columbus, as well as research units at Mississippi State University. At these farms, members of the tour heard firsthand from constituents about the challenges facing the agriculture industry, whether it be markets, labor or regulations. The group also heard about the needed adjustments for the upcoming farm bill as it relates to commodity program support and working lands conservation programs.

These on farm visits allow our members to discuss issues with our policy makers on their farms and build relationships that will last for years. It’s truly a prime time for local grassroots advocacy for our farm organization.

Justin Ferguson is the Federal Affairs Coordinator at the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.