NMF&LB President’s Column

By Larry Reagan

Farm Bill Reaches Far Beyond Our Capitol

I was lucky to attend New Mexico State University in the early 1980s. At that time, there were several very good, young professors who were at the point in their careers when they were still teaching lower level courses. One quote I will never forget came from Dr. Lowell Catlett who said, “The most consistent policy of the United States Congress has been to maintain an abundant and affordable food supply for the American people.” I know this isn’t the exact quote but the gist of it is the same. It emphasizes the fact that people who are not hungry are mostly peaceful and content.

Recently, I was in Washington D.C. with a group of more than 150 Farm Bureau members from across the country for the American Farm Bureau Advocacy Fly-In, and we heard from the House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson. He expanded even

Reagan cont. on page 18

AFBF President’s Column

The Zipline

By Zippy Duvall

Ranchers on the Frontlines Caring for Public Lands

I love visiting the great American West. Every time, I leave in awe of all I have seen. I am not a stranger to diverse landscapes coming from my home state of Georgia, with its mountains, forests and coastline. But the West is truly unique—not only in the landscape but in how ranchers serve as caretakers of our shared public lands. The Bureau of Land Management is now proposing significant changes to how public lands are managed, and we are looking at this closely to ensure ranchers can continue their critical work, keeping the land healthy for agriculture and natural wildlife.

BLM recently released a proposal on “Conservation and Landscape Health” that really alters how multiple uses are balanced on public lands. Among other things, the proposal creates a new “conservation lease” that BLM claims will strengthen the stewardship of America’s public

Duvall cont. on page 18

NMF&LB CEO’s Column

From the President Field Notes

Summer is a Season of Change

By Elizabeth Foster

Summer is a busy time for many people. Many fond memories come to mind as I think of childhood summers moving cattle, putting up hay, corn stands, old fashioned Fourth of Julys with homemade ice cream and fresh peaches or strawberries, and county fair. At the end of summer we would take our lambs to Portland to sell, and on the way home, we would fill the back of the truck with fruits and vegetables from a fruit stand in Sandy. The fruit stand isn’t there anymore, but the memories are. Summers seem less stressful even if the busy schedules don’t lessen.

There are several fun and exciting things happening this summer for our organization. We again are sponsoring an Isotopes game. Come out and join us July 15th for a night of fireworks, baseball, and agriculture. This year, we sponsored ag facts about baseball that are shared

Foster cont. on page 19