At the 2024 American Farmers and Ranchers Convention in Oklahoma City, Farm Director KC Sheperd caught up with the National Farmers Union President Rob Larew about current NFU priorities and more.
As Larew was recently appointed to the White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy, he said he is looking forward to being a voice for farmers and ranchers. Function in Washington, D.C. has been difficult during this administration, Larew added, which is why there has not been much progress with the farm bill.
“Time is running out to get a farm bill done this year, and of course, there are already predictions that we might see changes in the House and the Senate,” Larew said.
Now that the 2022 Census of Agriculture data has been released, Larew said some of the trends are positive, but one negative part of the release is the fact that farmers, on average, are getting older.
“Some of that is probably just the natural course of things, but from the Farmers Union’s point of view, our members want to make sure we are not artificially driving farms to keep getting bigger and bigger and that we are still able to support our communities, and that farmers of the family size can have a fair shake in the market place and don’t have to get extraordinarily large out there,” Larew said.
One positive from the report Larew mentioned is more recognition of women in agriculture.
“I think that is a really positive thing, and we are beginning to see an uptick in some younger farmers as well,” Larew said.
Because the average age of farmers in the U.S. is getting older, Larew emphasized the importance of succession plans so that the future of agriculture can be a successful one.
“It is not just about making sure we are going to have farmers to grow the food and so forth,” Larew said. “Somebody must step into that- you will have big monopolies farming the land if you have to. It is really about going back to those communities and whether we are going to have enough folks in and around these communities to keep small businesses in town and to keep schools operating so we can keep families in those towns and want to raise life in a rural setting as we all enjoy.”
Regarding the upcoming NFU convention in Scottsdale, Arizona on March 10-12, Larew said there will be panel discussions about the farm bill and connecting with those in agriculture to solve challenges in rural communities and more. Next year, Larew said NFU will be holding its national convention in Oklahoma City.
“Plans are well underway for it, and we are looking forward to it,” Larew said.
