SARM Calls On Politicians To Put More Focus On Agricultural Issues

Aug 31, 2021

With the Federal Election just weeks away, SARM has released its list of Election Priorities.

President Ray Orb says now is the time to be talking to candidates about rural broadband infrastructure, carbon tax and offsets.

"Farmers and ranchers already are sequestering carbon. They're doing their part and have been for some time to sequester carbon to take greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. But, of course, we all know that, but the federal government doesn't recognize this. They have not come forward with a meaningful offset program that would reward farmers rather than penalize them. The current carbon tax structure that we have in place, imposed on us by the federal government, is penalizing farmers."

He notes they also are calling for more infrastructure funding for rural municipalities, and better Ag safety nets.

"You know, we really believe that if we had more effective, more realistic safety net programs that really would reflect, you know, the farmer's cost of production. We probably wouldn't need extra help. As we're asking for now. We're asking for Agri-Recovery, which is a framework that is being developed. We wouldn't need those kinds of things as much if we had a better safety net program."

Orb would like to hear more from the political candidates about agricultural issues.

Voters go to the poll September 20th.

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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.