By Shala Watson
Multimedia Writer
Callahan-Shackelford County Farm Bureau leaders made not one, but two visits to the state Capitol this year. Their reach expanded with each visit.
In late March, the county leaders connected with more than 30 urban legislators and their staffs during their day trip to Austin.
The visit provided an opportunity for the leaders to help bridge the urban-rural divide.
“Our main focus was to visit with as many of these urban legislators as we could,” Dr. Rob Harle, DVM, Callahan-Shackelford CFB board member, said.
Many issues that impact farmers and ranchers extend beyond just the field of agriculture.
“They may not have the knowledge or input from agriculture on those issues,” Phil Williams, another county leader, said. “But they need to understand that what we do is important for everybody.”
Through conversations with urban legislators and their staff, the farmers and ranchers shared their stories and helped foster more understanding and respect.
Those legislators whom they visited with don’t regularly see farmers and ranchers during the session.
“Everybody was willing to sit down and took a lot of notes and asked questions,” Williams said. “Several of them were interested in the feral hog issue that is kind on the front pages now.”
Eminent domain and water were also discussed during the office visits.
“We tried to impress upon them that they very well could be affected by eminent domain whether it be a highway or a new sports complex,” Williams said. “So it wasn’t just something that affects agriculture, and to some of them, that was kind of an eye opener when we would point that out.”
The Lone Star State is seeing more urban development and growth.
“There are so many more urban districts than there are rural districts now,” Williams said. “Our representation was dwindling every year, and so issues that are important to us on the farm and ranch, we don’t have the votes that we once had.”
The farmers and ranchers provided expertise in areas foreign to most urban legislators and staff.
“We feel like a lot of them don’t know what’s going on in rural agricultural areas. We just want to let them know we’re out there and we have concerns similar to their concerns,” Harle said.
Education, sales tax exemptions and financial protections for agriculture—such as ag liens for crops in storage—were also discussed.
The group shared the story of agriculture, the values they stand for and their concerns with the urban legislators.
“We just need to touch base with them so they can better understand what we do, why we do it and how important it is to us to take care of the land,” Williams said. “We told them who we were and where we were from. We’re not part of their district, but yet they were still willing to sit down and listen to what we have to say.”
The group also met with Senator Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), who serves as the chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Water and Rural Affairs Committee.
“Next year, we plan to make appointments at their offices during the off season and talk to them,” said Callahan-Shackelford County Farm Bureau President Sam Snyder. “If Cal-Shack County can do it, anybody can do it. Every county needs to do this.”
Randall Franke, also a member of the Callahan-Shackelford County Farm Bureau board of directors, attend the meetings.
The group also visited the Capitol in late January as part of the Texas Farm Bureau’s Leadership Conference.