After yet another year of depressed commodity prices, uncertainty in export and biofuels markets, rapid consolidation in the food and agriculture sectors, and extreme and unseasonal weather events, nearly 400 of National Farmers Union’s (NFU) family farmer and rancher members will travel to Washington, DC, next week to meet face-to-face with administration officials and members of Congress.

Advocates from across the country will campaign for policies that strengthen the farm safety net, reduce chronic overproduction, help farmers and ranchers implement climate smart practices, restore competition to the agricultural economy, resolve ongoing trade disputes, and expand the market for homegrown biofuels. The NFU Fly-In Talking Points package can be found here.

NFU will kick off the Fly-In on the morning of Monday, September 9, with a briefing at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), where participants will hear from Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Gregory Ibach, Under Secretary for Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Affairs Ted McKinney as well as top officials from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and Farm Service Agency (FSA).

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Fly-In participants will visit all 535 congressional offices to meet with members of Congress and congressional staff to deliver their personal stories as to how federal level policies impact their families and communities. NFU will also honor congressional champions for family agriculture with the organisation’s Golden Triangle Award.

Members of the press who are interested in attending the USDA briefing should RSVP to Hannah Packman at [email protected] by 5:00pm EDT on Wednesday, 4 September.

WHAT:

• USDA Briefing – NFU Fall Legislative Fly-In

WHERE:

• Jefferson Auditorium, USDA 5th Wing
  1400 Independence Ave. SW
  Washington, DC 20228

WHEN:

• Monday, September 9
• 8:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS (in anticipated speaking order):

• Dr. Jodi Williams, National Program Leader, Food Safety, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Ted McKinney, Under Secretary, Trade and Foreign Affairs, US Department of Agriculture
• Greg Ibach, Under Secretary, Marketing and Regulatory Programs, US Department of Agriculture
• Bill Beam, Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, Farm Service Agency
• Keith Gray, Chief of Staff, Risk Management Agency