By Jackie Mundt, Pratt County farmer and rancher
The agriculture industry is a small world. It doesn’t always feel that way when you’re in the middle of wheat harvest or out checking calves on a quiet evening, but time and again, I am reminded of how tightly connected this industry really is.
One of those reminders came this summer. There was a week in July when it seemed like everyone in agriculture was in Washington, D.C. I was supposed to be there, too, but storms on the East Coast canceled my original flight. While enjoying the airline’s customer service hold music, I started scrolling through Facebook and noticed how many people in my network were posting about being in D.C. for the week. It seemed like lots of organizations in agriculture had meetings or fly-ins that week.
All those people also meant that flights were full, and it was not a little delay but a full 24 hours before the airline could get me there. By the time I finally arrived, I was frustrated and a little disappointed because I missed all of our meetings with Kansas’ federal delegation. I caught a few good speakers at the tail end of our meetings, but it felt a little wasteful to go all the way there and not visit with anyone.
I decided if I had already made it that far, I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity and headed up to Capitol Hill on my own and without any appointments. Almost immediately, I started to see blue corduroy jackets everywhere because state FFA officers from across the country were in town for their leadership summit. I even ran into the officers from my home state of Wisconsin that I have never met before so I introduced myself.
Right after a photo with the Wisconsin folks, I ran into two Kansas Farm Bureau friends that also serve on the National Sorghum Producers board. I made a few pop-ins to Kansas congressional offices just to say hello and let them know I made the effort glad to come to D.C. They always appreciate knowing you came to visit. Every time I thought I might be wandering the halls alone, another familiar face appeared. It ended up being a really good day of networking, and I am glad I made the effort and didn’t give up on my trip.
That’s the thing about agriculture: even in one of the biggest cities in the world, it still feels like a small town. You can’t walk very far without bumping into someone you know — or someone who knows someone you know. It’s a network built on shared experiences, trust and a deep love for the land and the people who care for it.
That week in Washington, you could feel the strength of agriculture. Farmers, ranchers, commodity groups, FFA students and other young leaders all showed up. We weren’t all there with the same organization or talking about the same issues, but at the heart of every conversation there was the same purpose: to make sure agriculture has a strong voice.
Agriculture really is a small world, but that’s exactly what makes it strong. In a place as big and busy as Washington, D.C., it was comforting to know that no matter where I turned, someone from our community was there — working, advocating, and reminding me that none of us ever truly walks alone.
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
