As we head into the new year, I am thrilled with the efforts being made to make 2023 “the year of the farmer”.
Illinois Farm Families, a coalition made up of the Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Beef, Corn, Pork, Soybean and Midwest Dairy Associations, is also launching a major campaign to build trust in family farmers. A major message we want to amplify is that 96% of farms in Illinois are family run. In the coming months, our members will begin to see these posts shared with a wider audience, including Super Bowl ads and other activities throughout the year.
I recognize that there is a lot of work to be done. Our farmers and leaders are winning support on both sides of the political aisle in a tumultuous political landscape. Farmers are working tirelessly to assure American families that agriculture is stronger than ever.
Being bipartisan has served Farm Bureau well. ACTIVATOR, IFB’s political action committee, helps us elect candidates who work for our best interests in Washington and Springfield. It also helps us build strong relationships with legislators, who in turn help us achieve our legislative priorities. We support local candidates, regardless of political party, and 93% of candidates supported by ACTIVATOR were elected in the last four-year election cycle.
In the coming months, Congress will begin drafting the 2023 Farm Bill, which will guide US agriculture and food policy for the next five years. For decades, farm policy has remained one of the few areas of true bipartisanship in Springfield and Washington, D.C. It is critical that we as farmers continue to develop strong relationships with our state elected officials and Federals as they lay the groundwork for the next farm bill, defend international trade agreements and promote biofuels in our energy policy.
In December, IFB launched its first documentary, “Supporting Our Future: A Farm Family Story. The documentary uses an empathetic and creative storytelling approach to share the story of a multi-generational farming family at the forefront of nutrient loss reduction efforts in Illinois. It also includes the IFB environmental team and agricultural researchers from the University of Illinois. The documentary can be viewed on the Illinois Farm Bureau’s YouTube page.
As we look to the new year to continue sharing our messages, whether it’s Farm Bill priorities, bipartisanship or environmental efforts, we cannot ignore the changing demographics of our membership. There are more IFB members aged over 90 than under 35. In addition, the number of American farms is expected to decline by 42% by 2040.
It is hard to believe that it has been nine years since I was first elected President of the IFB. It has been an incredible honor to serve Illinois farmers and our members. I am proud of our work over the past year, but our work is not yet finished. We have much more to accomplish in the months to come.
Through these educational efforts, new member programming, and bipartisan acts, I know we can make 2023 a great year for farmers and agriculture.
• Richard Guebert Jr. is president of the Illinois Farm Bureau. This editorial was distributed through a cooperative project between the Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For food and agriculture news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.