Farmers and Ranchers Urge D.C. Policymakers to Pass a Farm Bill

By Lura Roti

Pass a Farm Bill.

This is the message several South Dakota family farmers and ranchers delivered to D.C. policymakers during the 2024 National Farmers Union Fly-In, September 9-11.

“A Farm Bill ensures the stability of farming and ranching,” explained Ryan Urban, a fourth-generation Pukwana crop and cattle producer. “It is scary the dollars it takes to produce food. The price of seed, price of machinery, price of livestock feed – the Farm Bill provides risk protection we need if our crop fails or a blizzard kills our cattle.”

Ryan and his wife Samantha were among 26 producers South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) sponsored to travel to D.C. to share with policymakers how an outdated Farm Bill impacts their farms, ranches, their families and their rural communities.

“These farmers and ranchers came out here and worked as hard as they work at home planting a crop, haying or working cattle – even though they know the possibility of getting a Farm Bill passed this year is slim,” explained Doug Sombke, President of SDFU and a Brown County crop and cattle producer.

Sombke’s thoughts echoed those of National Farmers Union President Rob Larew when he met with members during a morning meeting with officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“This is the perfect time for you to be in D.C. because of the challenges we face,” Larew said. “Input costs are rising, increasing the financial pressures farmers face and weather-related disasters continue to trend upward – we need a Farm Bill now.”

National Farmers Union Vice President and Aberdeen farmer, Jeff Kippley agreed, adding. “Commodity drop in the last six months is evidence we have to have safety nets in place for American farmers.” Kippley is also vice President of SDFU.

The last Farm Bill passed in 2018.

In addition to risk protection programs for crops and livestock, efforts are underway to get Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) as part of the new Farm Bill.

Because this has long been a policy Farmers Union members have advocated for, members were disappointed when Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack focused on a recent rule that mandates if retailers wish to label meat, it can only carry the Product of the USA or Made in the USA label if meat is born, raised and harvested.

“This is a step in the right direction, but it is voluntary. Our livestock producers deserve mandatory country of origin labeling,” Sombke said.

Urban agreed. “Truth in labeling is not the complete solution,” Urban said. “As livestock producers, we ought to have mandatory labeling because producers in our country produce the best cattle in the world and we should be able to capitalize on our investment in quality.”

Cost share programs are another aspect of the Farm Bill that Farmers Union members focused on in discussions with policymakers. Many depend on cost share dollars to help fund vital infrastructure updates like installation of waterlines and fencing to support rotational grazing and other conservation efforts.

Like so many cattle producers, White River rancher Dustin Schmidt, relies on these cost-share dollars to provide necessary water for his livestock. And he helps other ranchers do the same through his business installing waterlines.

“We have very limited water resources.  Our dams are few and far between and often times they are stale and muddy and unusable. And wells are not dependable, so we need waterlines and tanks to help utilize and disperse grazing rotation systems,” Schmidt said.

A member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Schmidt has traveled to D.C. to advocate for agriculture before. He started his cattle operation from scratch and if in the future his sons want to raise cattle, he hopes to help them get started. “We need to support our livelihoods and stick up for ourselves. If we don’t fight, advocate and educate for ourselves, no one else will,” Schmidt said.

Clear Lake farmer, Amanda Goens, agreed. “It is so important for policymakers to hear our personal stories. Understand that we are real people and the challenges we face as farmers are real.”

When Amanda and her husband, Jerad met with policymakers, they shared the impact low crop and commodity prices have on their young family and their rural community.

“There is so much uncertainty in the markets, we need the security found in the Farm Bill because like so many other young producers, we do not have the capital necessary to cover input costs, so we need these risk management programs in order for our bankers to back us,” Jerad explained.

The Goens have three young children and like most family farmers and ranchers, they depend on Amanda’s off-farm income to cover groceries, health insurance, daycare and other daily essentials. 

“I worry about these young producers,” said Wayne Soren, a Lake Preston farmer and the former Vice President of SDFU. “I thought the hurdles we had to overcome when I was a young producer during the Farm Crisis of the 70s and 80s were something, but at least we could repair our own tractors. We need to figure things out if we want the next generation to thrive.”

In addition to passing a Farm Bill, ensuring farmers have the right to repair their own equipment and choose who repairs their equipment was also top of mind and conversations with policymakers.

“I recently had a sprayer engine that needed a new injector. I can replace the injector, but I need to hook up to a special computer in order for the new injector to work,” explained De Smet farmer, Rob Lee, when he met with a staff member of a representative from Oregon.

On a similar topic, Aberdeen farmer, Kirk Schaunaman encouraged the same staffer to support efforts to protect farmers’ proprietary field data gleaned by precision farming technology.

As the meeting wrapped up, the staff person thanked the South Dakota farmers for meeting with her. “Our boss appreciates the work farmers do as stewards of the land, so she always likes working with Farmers Union members.”

When meeting with Congressional staff, South Dakota farmers and ranchers broke into small teams. Beresford farmer and SDFU board member Larry Birgen led the team Lee and Schuanaman were on. Participating in NFU Fly-Ins for years, Birgen said the need to advocate does not go away.

“It seems like there is always an issue we need to address, this year it is asking to get a new Farm Bill passed,” Birgen explained. “I enjoy hearing what experienced farmers like Kirk and younger farmers like Rob have to say when we meet with policymakers.” 

During the Fly-In, Farmers Union members had the opportunity to meet with Senator John Thune and Representative Dusty Johnson. During these meetings, getting Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) into the Farm Bill topped the priorities discussed.

Support for MCOOL from South Dakota’s policymakers is strong.

“Lord knows we have labeling on everything except what is on the center of our plate,” Thune said.

However, optimism they would be able to get a Farm Bill to pass during the 2024 session was low.

“I am frustrated we do not have a Farm Bill all tied up,” Johnson said.

During the conversation with Johnson, Oren Lesmeister, a Parade rancher and SDFU board member asked if the Representative would support the Department of Justice if their investigations into the meat packers proves antitrust violations.

“Representative Johnson would not commit to anything at all,” Lesmeister said.

The Department of Justice investigation into the meat packers began after department leaders met with Farmers Union members during the 2022 NFU Fly-In.

“It is eye-opening and great to hear we have a voice,” said Carleyn Petersen, who ranches with her husband, Cole near Eagle Butte. The Petersens have three children and said their children are the reason they made time for the Fly-In.

“We want to keep our ranch going for the next generation,” said Cole, “It is important to share our stories with policymakers, so they understand how what they do impacts us.”