BY TAMMIE SLOUP
To go from climbing in farm equipment at the Museum of Science and Industry as a child to manning the controls of a planter dropping corn seed into a field recently was an “eye-opening” experience for U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson.
But it wasn’t just the evolution in technology that intrigued him, it was also the conversations with Illinois Farm Bureau President Brian Duncan as they sat side-by-side in the tractor, walked alongside the hog barns at Duncan’s Ogle County farm and shared a homecooked brisket meal on the patio.
For four hours May 12, the House Ag Committee member visited the family farm in Polo, taking the opportunity to pepper Duncan with questions about his livestock operation, export markets, labor reform, trade, the need for a farm bill and other issues affecting Illinois farmers.
“I’ve been on farms before, but to be able to spend this much quality time with Brian ... I came away with a greater appreciation for the complete ecosystem, that the actions that are happening in Washington not only affect this farm district, they also feed out into the world, so it’s one contiguous feed and system from the producer all the way to the consumer,” said Jackson, D-Chicago.
The visit involved a number of stops, including a tour of a nearby grain elevator. As Jackson watched a probe pull out grain from a semi, elevator staff explained that the product would soon be loaded into the train parked behind the facility, with the final destination being Mexico. They also explained the intricacies with delivering grain in Mexico, including having to clear all the grain from the top of the cars or risk hefty fines.
Jackson said one of his biggest takeaways was how farming is connected internationally, and how products from Duncan’s farm are shipped around the world and the importance of new export markets.
“I want to make sure that we are growing and strengthening our markets as we deal with debts and deficits,” Jackson said. “Some things we can’t cut our way out of, we have to grow our way out of.”
Duncan described the day’s events as “next-level learning,” emphasizing the importance of visual learning and storytelling in agriculture. For example, seeing the train that would soon head to Mexico with local grain provided the perfect opportunity for Duncan to discuss the importance of trade for farmers in Illinois, which ranks third nationally in the export of agricultural commodities with more than $8 billion worth of goods shipped to other countries.
“In Farm Bureau, what we do best is we forge relationships, we tell stories and we tell them in an honest way that people can understand and relate to,” Duncan explained. “And I really felt like Congressman Jackson left here with a good picture of the importance of the priority issues of Illinois Farm Bureau for Illinois farmers, and the work ahead of him for a farm bill and on trade is going to be a challenge, but it’s worth the fight.”
As the congressman toured the livestock barns, seeing Duncan’s children’s cows and even a 2-day-old calf, IFB’s president took the opportunity to discuss the importance of generational farms, and bringing young people back to the farm.
“The congressman asked me, ‘So what do we have to do to get the next generation back on the farm?’ And I said, ‘Profitability. Help them address their capital costs, continue to find new markets, all of those things,’” Duncan told FarmWeek from the front yard of his home, where he grew up and raised his four children — three of whom are active in the farm operation.
Jackson said he appreciated Duncan’s ability to explain farm-level issues and how they’re intertwined with foreign affairs, as well as break down the role of technology and research that aid family farms.
“This is no time to pull back on investments in agrisciences; this is the time that we should be investing more to make sure that we have a sustainable advantage going forward,” Jackson said. “So I take that back to Washington with renewed commitment to make sure that we are investing the most in our agribusiness and our agriculture.”
As Jackson prepared for the ag committee’s budget markup the next day, Duncan said he hoped memories of his day on the farm would be fresh.
The visit highlighted the value of direct engagement and clear communication in agriculture policy, said IFB Director of National Legislation Ryan Whitehouse.
“We got to talk about the priorities that are important to our membership, what we need in a farm bill, what we need with this economics of agriculture, what we need on trade and tariffs,” Whitehouse said. “And we got to not only talk about the issues, our president got to spend time with a sitting member of the House Ag Committee, and just get to know one another, to build the trust so they have that relationship. So when those issues come up, our president can talk to him and say, ‘Hey, this is what our members are saying.’
Both Jackson and Duncan called the visit a “privilege.”
“I think it was a great day,” Duncan said. “The representative gave us half a day and asked a ton of great questions. I think I drank four bottles of water and talked myself dry, but it was just a really fun day.
“This is why Farm Bureau exists,” he said. “We’re not going to let someone else tell our story for us. We’ve got our priority issues right. We’ve got great credibility. We’re a bipartisan organization, and that leads to discussions like today.”
Content for this story was provided by FarmWeekNow.com.