By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

A farm tour and conversation with farmers and ranchers gave U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill a closer look at the challenges facing Texas agriculture.

During his visit to Denton County last month, farmers and ranchers discussed high input costs, the threat of the New World screwworm and the need for a new farm bill.

Garrett Spigner, who grows corn, raises beef cattle and does custom harvesting, was among the Denton County Farm Bureau leaders who hosted the congressman.

“We talked about some of the key concerns right now with us, which would be high input costs and low commodity prices,” Spigner said. “He wanted to listen to us and see what he could do. We know that he can only do so much, but it’s appreciated that he listens and wants to try to help us.”

The conversation also touched on the impact of New World screwworms on Texas livestock.

“We talked about the screwworm in Mexico and how the USDA is working to try to solve that issue and protect our American beef,” Spigner said. “They’re close to the border right now.”

Spigner said he appreciated Gill’s willingness to hear directly from farmers and ranchers.

“It helps them know what’s going on,” Spinger said. “You can read about it all day, but until you really go out and witness it firsthand and see what we’re dealing with and our struggles, they don’t really know. Him being willing to come meet with us shows that he wants to be in touch and be an advocate for the farmer and work with Farm Bureau.”

The congressman noted the importance of visiting farms firsthand to build connections to accurately represent farmers and ranchers at the national level.

“These are the people whose voices need to be heard in D.C., and for me to effectively represent them, I need to be on the ground with them. I need to visit their farms. I need to talk with them,” Gill said. “We talk a lot about the importance of what they’re doing, food security, it’s relevance for national security. Without food, you don’t have a country, frankly, and these are the people who are putting food on American tables. This is a core part of what we do in Washington is making sure that we can support our farmers.”

Gill said visits like the one in Denton County give him valuable insight he can’t get behind a desk.

“It’s one thing to talk about and discuss or analyze a piece of legislation in the abstract,” he said. “It’s another to talk to the people on the ground who are impacted by the work that we’re doing in Washington. It certainly provides a much more holistic perspective on what we’re working on. ”

These meetings and farm tours help build trust and connection between producers and lawmakers.

“It allows me to come back to Washington and tell my colleagues and the people that I’m working with what I’m hearing on the ground that you may not get in the print media or anywhere else,” Gill said.

In August, Texas Farm Bureau hosted over 20 congressional meetings where county Farm Bureau leaders and members highlighted the current realities of farming.