Finding Solutions for Farmers and Ranchers in 2024

Jan 15, 2024

In 2023, my first full year serving as executive vice president at the American Farm Bureau Federation, I enjoyed witnessing the complete cycle of the grassroots policy development process, from county Farm Bureau meetings to last year’s convention in Puerto Rico. Together, our farmer and rancher members have accomplished much, and we have the potential to do even more in 2024.

Farm Bureau took a giant step forward on the right to repair issue in 2023 by signing memorandums of understanding with five farm equipment manufacturers. The agreements formalize farmers’ rights to access tools and parts to repair their equipment. Our members called upon us to find a private solution to this issue, and we answered that challenge. Now, almost three-quarters of agricultural equipment in America is covered by right to repair agreements.

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a major victory for America’s farmers and ranchers in its Sackett v. EPA ruling. The justices ruled unanimously that EPA overstepped its authority under the Clean Water Act. It forced EPA to rewrite the Waters of the United States rule. Our work continues to create a rule that is clear and concise, while protecting our nation’s waterways.

Farm bill

Every American should be urging Congress to pass a new farm bill as a top 2024 priority. This legislation is a critical tool to ensure our nation’s food and farm security and to meet new challenges, continue innovating and advance sustainability goals. While Congress passed an extension of the 2018 farm bill, providing short-term stability and allowing for more time to get revisions right, a new farm bill must be a priority in the new year. Supply chain challenges we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, trade wars and weather disasters are just a few examples of why we need modernized legislation. The farm bill has always been a bipartisan effort and we encourage lawmakers to work in that spirit to get the job done early in 2024.

Ag labor

Securing labor remains one of agriculture’s most frustrating challenges and urgent needs. The H-2A visa program doesn’t provide enough workers to meet the demand of many farms, and a flawed wage calculation system makes it difficult for many farmers to afford help. AFBF has long called for a bipartisan, workable solution for labor reform and while we were unable to find that solution in 2023, it must be a top priority for lawmakers in 2024 to create meaningful labor reform.

Trade

Many of the trade issues we faced in 2023 will continue into 2024. The U.S. Trade

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.