Aiming For Agriculture: Annual F.A.R.M. Fund Clay Shoot Raises Support, Opens Doors
The standard size of a clay pigeon is four and half by one and a quarter inches.
At the annual, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation’s FARM Fund PAC clay shoot, it was a bad day to be a clay pigeon.
The winners turned out to be not the shooters on this day but the men and women, farmer members of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation as thousands of dollars was raised to bring attention to agriculture on Capitol Hill.
“The Farm Fund is one of the most powerful PACs on the hill. It is bipartisan in nature. It’s about production agriculture,” said Rep. Trent Kelly, Mississippi 1st District. “It’s about taking care of the needs and having these funds allows them to get in offices that they otherwise could not get in.”
“They’re supporting members from across the country, members who support agriculture, and so if we’re going to have an impact on the Ag community, if we’re going to have an impact on the committees that we serve, it’s important to know that those individuals who are on those committees have the same view of agriculture that we do,” said Rep. Michael Guest, Mississippi Third District.
From Mississippi’s Third District Congressman in Representative Michael Guest to Wisconsin’s Third District. Special guest on this day, Representative Derrick Van Orden attended the clay shoot at the invitation of Kelly and Guest to find out more about forestry and row crop agriculture in comparison to Wisconsin’s diaries and cranberry farms.
“We have to stick together and, when we don’t, things don’t turn out well,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, Wisconsin Third District. “For too long I think people in the government – state, local, and federal government – have taken farmers for granted and the vast majority of Americans now, 2025, have never stepped on a farm. They think an egg comes from a grocery store.”
It was a day well spent as Farm Bureau members expressed their needs face to face with three congressmen and in turn these Congressmen helped an important organization in each of their districts.
“If you have the opportunity to go to D.C. and shake hands there and really see how things work,” said Neal Creasy, Tallahatchie County Farm Bureau member. “It can kind of give everyone a perspective of, you know, how tough it really is up there, but to be able to shake these guys hands and talk to them personally and, you know, go shoot with them it means a lot and I think it means a lot to all these farmers.”
“The fellowship for us to be able to, when we’re home, meet with constituents and to talk to them about the things that are important to them and also get to know them on an individual basis. So, a great day,” said Guest.
A great day allowing Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation’s FARM Fund PAC to continue its mission backing those in Congress who support legislation protecting and enhancing the priorities of Mississippi farmers.
“I don’t do anything without calling and checking in with them and making sure that we’re doing the right things. It’s great to have Derrick Van Orden down here, one of our great aggies from Wisconsin,: said Kelly. “It’s just very, very important that we be here to show our support for our farmers and raise funds to help our legislators do the right things.”
“Organizations like this are incredibly important to find farm friendly members of the government to make sure that, when we write policies, they actually make sense for the farmers, and I take my job very, very seriously,” said Van Orden.
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