On many occasions I have been asked what is the most important thing Farm Bureau does for me, and each time I say policy. In a grassroots organization such as Farm Bureau there is no greater power than that of its members. I think we often forget that each individual has a voice and should use it. We as members have so many ways we can make a difference. We must tell the story, and who better to listen then our members of legislature. They can be powerful allies if we get the importance of our needs and concerns across to them. There are many ways this can be accomplished. The first and most important is to contact these elected officials and meet with them in person. If they can put a face to the issues it makes those issues harder to ignore. The more people that meet with them and voice their concerns, the more likely they will be to support you. The next step would be to contact these legislative officials by mail or email - although not quite as effective as an in person visit this still works to remind them of your cause. The next line of defense is the lobbyists that work for all of us at Farm Bureau. These people are so very important on the State and National level. They get their marching orders directly from the members of this organization, and they work hard for all of us.

Many of us as FB members have been approached by someone who is not happy about some part of the FB policy, either on the state level or nationally. Most of the time these people who are complaining are not even members. I have had more than one of these conversations end up with a new member, and a very active member at that. At this time every year, when we begin our policy development, I am once again reminded of how very important each individual member is. Being the largest general farm organization is tough work, and the members are doing the hard part. The members are the ones who generate the policies that the different States and the American Farm Bureau follow.

So if you are ever in doubt about the power of your voice, just keep talking - if enough people say the same thing then we can move mountains.