The State Of - August Recess 2022

Jul 29, 2022

Through a series of articles we call The State, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Advocacy and Political Affairs team is providing analysis related to "the state of" various aspects related to advocacy and political trends impacting farmers and ranchers and rural Americans.

“All politics is local,” former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill said in summing up the direct link between a politician’s success and his or her ability to understand and influence the issues that matter most to their constituents.

Farm Bureau has a long-standing commitment to actively work with lawmakers on the issues affecting farmers, ranchers and rural communities. The August Recess period is a prime opportunity for grassroots engagement as legislators return home hoping to hear directly from the voters they represent.

For 2022, members of the House of Representatives are scheduled to be in the district for 45 days – from July 30 to September 13. And your Senators will be in the state from August 6 to September 6. These weeks help to shape the political direction for the fall months and provide the best opportunity to weigh in on legislative actions while trying to shape future ones.

Farmers and ranchers have a critical perspective on issues that Congress is considering. From ensuring the impacts of the tax code do not harm farmers and ranchers, to telling the story on the many challenges across our farms and ranches from high input costs and inflation to the challenges Mother Nature brings impacting the farm economy, sharing details of why the farm bill helps us all, and the need to build the rural broadband network Congress passed.

Each and every voice across Farm Bureau is critical in sharing agriculture’s story and explaining why these and other issues are essential to America’s farmers and ranchers.

As an advocate for agriculture, your goals for August congressional recess are to:

Schedule meetings with your senators and representatives. Invite them to attend a local event, tour a farm or ranch or visit the county fair to meet local farmers and ranchers.
Share a personal story about the issues and challenges you face as a business and community. What can they do to help you?
Build a relationship with your legislators so you become their trusted resource on all things agriculture and rural America.

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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.