Agricultural News
AFBF President Zippy Duvall Tells Farm Bureau Members They Have What It Takes to Do Great Work in Feeding the US and the World
Sun, 08 Jan 2017 20:58:18 CST
With a new Congress and president this year, American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall remains optimistic about the chance to make progress on key ag issues from regulatory reform to tax reform and trade.
"Rural America showed up in November," Duvall said Sunday. "This election should send a strong, loud and clear message to the politicians in Washington: you ignore rural America at your own risk."
During his first annual address as president at the 98th AFBF Annual Convention, Duvall led the crowd of Farm Bureau leaders through an exercise to instantly e-mail their elected official urging support of a regulatory reform bill. In all, more than 1,500 messages were sent Sunday morning.
Duvall told Farm Bureau members that one of his goals for his first term as AFBF President is to visit all fifty states and learn more about their agriculutural enterprises. In his first year, he has visited 33 states and Oklahoma is on his list to visit in the coming year.
Duvall also discussed the 2018 farm bill and the need for immigration reform, specifically a new ag visa program "that actually works for farmers and farm laborers."
"President-elect Trump cares about immigration reform," he said. "He has talked about it for years, and we know that he wants to find a solution. - And his team has promised me that agriculture will have a seat at the table. And we are so proud to be able to have that."
To be "truly influential," Duvall said agriculture and rural America must unite. "Unite" is the theme for this year's annual convention.
"We need to set aside our differences -- between commodity lines across regional lines and across state lines," Duvall said. "We've got to present a unified front to achieve our goal.
"Several members of Congress have shared with me how important it is for agriculture to unite and bring one ask. They don't want to be picking the winners and losers."
Duvall offered an example from the Bible as he concluded his 2017 address- telling them about Nehemiah describing the work of the Jews as they built a defensive wall around Jerusalem. "The job was IMMENSE. Some thought it was impossible. The invading army laughed when they heard about the wall. They said it would be built so quickly- and would be so flimsy- that just a little fox walking on it would make it crumble.
"But every citizen of Jerusalem worked side by side with one another, contributing according to their skills and abilities and putting their hands to the good work. They built that wall in just 52 days- and defended their city from invasion.
"Folks, I know we often feel as if we as farmers and ranchers are under attack. We have to work together to build our defenses. But we don't need to build walls between us and consumers. We need to tear down those walls.
"This story in Nehemiah illustrates the three ingredients that are essential to doing great work:
"A clear purpose and plan;
"People who are passionate and willing to work hard;
"And a determination to get the job done.
"In Farm Bureau, we have all of those ingredients."
You can read Zippy Duvall's first Presidential report to the 2017 AFBF Convention by clicking or tapping here. Click on the LISTEN BAR below to hear his complete address to members of the general farm organization.
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