The Fruit Growers News - January 2003

Let me ask one simple question regarding your business.

Would you let a stranger make important decisions regarding the operation of your farm; decisions that could cost you thousands of dollars and countless hours of lost time a year?

I am sure that you, like most business people, would respond to this questions with, at the very least, a snicker and an empathic shake of the head. Your family has spent far too much time, effort and money on the farm to let anyone else make any decisions - big or small.

Think again…the truth is someone else is making these decisions for you. Huge decisions that affect your profitability and your farm and family’s future. Who is doing this? Politicians, of course.

That’s right. Your state and federal representatives, when not traveling around your district running for election, head back to their Capitol offices and work to make laws – and lots of them. These laws affect your taxes, commodity prices, livestock and workers - just to name a few. Whether you like it or not, these laws directly impact your bottom line and much of the time not positively. As the old saying goes, “you can’t fight city hall,” so you must take steps to make sure city hall is on your side.

It is imperative that you make your voice and opinions heard by the governmental “silent partner” on your farm. Your state and federal representatives need to know your opinions on bills before they are enacted into law and impact your business.

I know you are busy, but so are your legislators. I guarantee that unless you put some effort into the following tasks, you will be even busier next year when working harder and longer to earn the same amounts of money.

Stay informed
You can’t be responsive to government action if you don’t know what is happening in your state or across the nation. At the very least, read newspapers, listen to the radio and check out government and news or Web sites. Information is key to your action.

Contact your representatives
Once you find an issue that you believe needs attention, spring into action. Get your representatives on the phone and tell them exactly how you feel. After you hang up, write them a letter. Do this often. In both cases, outline the issue and how it affects you, your family and your business. Don’t wait until you find an issue that you absolutely hate to call or write. If your representatives are doing something you like, call them to let them know that they are doing a good job. Nobody likes criticism all the time.

Help out
If your elected official is doing a good job, help keep them in office by volunteering to help on their next campaign. Sure, monetary contributions are good, but every campaign needs people to stuff envelopes or answer phones. Your efforts will keep them in office so they can continue to help you, especially when they know you and your family from the time spent working on their campaign. Plus, while you are working, you will almost certainly have free access to the candidate and their staff for long periods of time.

Your goal, at the very least, should be to have your representatives know you and your business by name. When they do, they can better address your needs and keep their actions (legislation, speeches, constituent service) in the context of your family and farm.

In the end, it won’t be a stranger making your important farm decisions. Instead, it will be an informed and effective governmental representative who knows you and is working on behalf of your farm and your family. Exactly what they should be doing to earn their keep.

Jeff Williams is the Associate Director of the Public Policy Division of the New York Farm Bureau.