The Farmer’s Second Job: Being an Agricultural Advocate
By Stephanie Metzinger B eyond growing food that feeds the nation, farmers also are business owners, scientists, agronomists, entomologists, meteorologists, environmentalists and so much more. The “second job” that elevates above the rest, however, is being an advocate for the industry. Advocating for the future of farming (also known as “agvocacy”) and meeting with lawmakers to provide a first-hand account of how laws directly affect agricultural operations go hand-in-hand with being a farmer. “It is important to ‘humanize’ the issues,” said Colby Pereira, Vice President of Operations at Braga Fresh Family Farms. “At the end of the day we are farmers, but we are also human individuals and that can sometimes get lost in context as legislators and decision-makers are considering policy. It is important to contextualize the faces behind all ag production.”
For centuries, America’s food heroes have been on the frontlines of fighting for resources and support that will allow them to farm for years to come. This includes everything from urging lawmakers to pursue immigration reform to ensure a reliable source of labor, to pressing for a steady supply of water to allow crops to grow, and to battling restrictions on crop protection tools that hinder growers from protecting fruits and vegetables from pests and diseases. “Farmers, especially those of us in Western agriculture, have to be smarter about literally everything today than we had to 25 years ago,” said Neill Callis, General Manager at Turlock Fruit Company. “This includes everything from regulatory matters, water use, employee well-being, tax policy and commodity markets. You name it, and we have to be experts on it to remain viable. And that’s aside from the actual farming we do!”
Colby Pereira
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MARCH | APRIL 2022
Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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