Farm Bureau members from across Iowa visited Washington last week to share personal stories and bring up important agricultural issues — including concerns about the reference price for corn and soybeans, the use of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to take highly productive land out of production, California’s Proposition 12 (Prop 12) animal welfare law  and the development of a new farm bill — with their senators and representatives.

The trip was the culmination of nearly a year of education for the 2023 class of Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s (IFBF) Ag Leaders Institute, which trains members how to represent their farms, their county Farm Bureaus and the ag industry. 

Twenty-one members of the class traveled to Washington, where they met with Iowa Sens. Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst, along with Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Zach Nunn and Randy Feenstra.

Tama County Farm Bureau member Daweyn Albertsen led the discussion with Hinson, noting that Prop 12 will impact his hog operation in unforeseen ways. 

“My family has been raising hogs for more than 100 years, and Prop 12 will impact my life and how I run my...