By TERESA PAISLEY, tpaisley@nyfb.org

As members of New York Farm Bureau’s board of directors visited congressional offices in Washington, D.C., recently, they heard a recurring theme. It’s critically important for elected officials to hear from New York’s farmers. That’s precisely the reason behind 10 board members’ spending two very full days attending more than two dozen meetings in D.C. at the end of March.

While meeting with Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer, Farm Bureau members emphasized the critical need for immigration reform and the urgent need for New York’s farmers to have a legal and dependable workforce. Meetings also were held with members of the House of Representatives and their staffers, where topics included the Farm Bill, the need to extend the MILC program and opposition to the proposed horse slaughter bill.

During the whirlwind trip to the nation’s capital, Farm Bureau representatives also met with staff members from both the House and the Senate Agriculture Committees for a briefing on the status of the Farm Bill. With budget constraints and two-thirds of the Farm Bill funds dedicated to nutrition programs, prospects for extra money for the 2007 Farm Bill are dim. Farm Bureau members stressed the need for food safety programs, inclusion of specialty crops, support for dairy farmers when prices drop below the cost of production, a safety net for farmers, continuation of the tree assistance program (TAP) and planting flexibility.

Exhausted after two intense days working on behalf of New York’s farmers, the Farm Bureau delegation returned to their agriculture businesses, where they feel more comfortable. Recognizing the importance of lobbying New York’s congressional delegation about agricultural issues, Columbia County dairy farmer and Farm Bureau board member Eric Ooms said, “I do this so I can continue farming.”