AFBF President Zippy Duvall Visits Mississippi to Hear Directly from Farmers

When American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall arrived in Mississippi last week, his itinerary reflected the spirit of Farm Bureau itself—boots on the ground, face-to-face with the people who grow our food and steward our land.

Over several days, Duvall joined Mississippi Farm Bureau President Mike McCormick for visits with producers and board members in Madison, Yazoo, and Hinds counties. He toured farms, sat in on local annual meetings, and spoke to committee members during the state Resolutions Meeting. 

“I always enjoy coming to Mississippi because it’s the heart of the South and the heart of agriculture,” said Duvall, a Georgia native who appreciates the familiarity and feels at home in the Magnolia State.  

At every stop, conversations centered on how national issues are affecting farmers at home. Matt Edgar, a Yazoo County Farm Bureau board member who raises both row crops and livestock, was eager to discuss several critical topics with Duvall, including government price interference in the cattle industry, the threat of the New World screwworm, and the immediate assistance needed for row crop farmers as the calendar year comes to a close.

“The primary message I asked Mr. Zippy to share with President Trump is how the small family farms and ranches, which produce the majority of our country’s food and fiber, are often the least and last compensated for the time and funds invested,” said Edgar. “Our food is the safety net of our country, and we need to make sure that the people who are producing it receive the compensation they deserve and do not have to worry as much about being able to take care of their own family.”

The visit culminated at MFBF headquarters during the annual Resolutions Meeting, where county leaders from across Mississippi presented policy recommendations developed by local members throughout the year. 

“There’s a lot of upheaval in farm country right now. The row crop guys have really struggled through the whole year, and then over the last month, the livestock markets got thrown into chaos. So, it’s good to have the American Farm Bureau President here who gets to see and talk to the President of the United States,” said McCormick. “He’s been able to share with our farmers some of the things he’s discussed in Washington that have helped make things better for us, while also reinforcing what he’s hearing around the rest of the U.S.—that our farmers need help. We don’t need a handout, but we do need a hand until we settle the markets down.”

According to McCormick, Duvall’s visit underscores the value of Farm Bureau’s grassroots foundation—a process that has defined the organization for more than a century—and reassures MFBF members that their voices matter.

“What a lot of people don’t know or fully understand about Farm Bureau is the power of our grassroots effort,” McCormick continued. “The policy development process we’ve been using since 1922 is what makes us special because it’s not my voice at the Capitol or in Washington, D.C.—it’s the members’ voice. It’s a tried-and-true process that ensures every policy in our book has come through the right channels with the right people who are actively engaged in that specific commodity or area.”

After a proposed resolution passes and is adopted, it is added into MFBF’s policy book, which guides the organization’s work and feeds into the national policy process overseen by Duvall—making his attendance at the recent Resolutions Meeting even more impactful.

“To have him here to explain how some little problem in some little county in Mississippi makes it all the way to the national spotlight in Washington, D.C. is pretty eye-opening for our members,” said McCormick.

Duvall regularly travels the country to meet and talk with farmers and ranchers about their operations and the issues they are facing. Those conversations guide and fuel his work on behalf of Farm Bureau and American agriculture. 

“The most powerful tool we have in our toolbox is our stories that come from the farm. Without that story, we really don’t accomplish anything,” Duvall said. “We take our policy, we can talk about it, we can give them statistics, but when we tie a family farm story to it—of how it either negatively or positively affects them—it moves the needle with the people that represent us, even all the way up to the President of the United States.”

For Edgar, the opportunity to share some of his own story meant a lot. “I am deeply appreciative of Mr. Zippy taking time out of his extremely busy schedule to go around and hear our voices. He has a great knowledge of American agriculture, and I am very glad that we have someone like him to represent us.”  

While grateful for the experience, Edgar admits he wasn’t surprised that MFBF helped make it happen.

“They are fighting and going the extra mile for us,” said Edgar. “From Mr. McCormick and everyone else involved down to our regional managers, Mississippi Farm Bureau has always made sure that they keep the members informed, hear what we have to say, and pass it on to D.C. I’m proud to be part of it and to know that they have our backs at all times.”

…Further demonstrating how Farm Bureau remains, as Duvall described, “valuable to them [members] in many different ways.”