Putting Member Policy into Action

There’s something about early spring in Nebraska. Before long, tractors will begin to roll across our fields. Seed will meet soil. And with it comes a renewed sense of purpose and possibility.

Here at Nebraska Farm Bureau, this is also the season when the seeds of policy, planted by our members, begin to take root.

The Nebraska Legislature convened January 7, but the real work started long before that. It began in county meetings and policy discussions, culminating at our annual meeting where members set the policies that now serve as our marching orders.

That policy book isn’t just a document. It’s the voice of Nebraska farmers and ranchers carried into the State Capitol.

This is where the boots meet the ground.

Our team is in daily conversations with senators to ensure rural Nebraska is represented as legislation moves forward. The policies you set guide every meeting and every testimony. Your ideas are being shaped into laws that impact agriculture and our state’s future.

And the work extends beyond Lincoln.

At the federal level, important conversations are moving forward as well. The Congress is back at work, addressing issues important to Nebraska agriculture, including year-round E-15, and EPA rules impacting DEF systems, a reminder that your voice reaches far beyond our state.

Moments like these remind us why elections matter. The work we have done to help elect leaders who understand agriculture is paying dividends as these issues advance. But engagement doesn’t end on Election Day.

At our recent Legislative Conference, members met directly with senators to share how proposals affect their farms and ranches. Those conversations matter. As former U.S. Senator Mike Johanns reminded us, involvement at the local level is critical because that’s where many of the decisions are made that affect not just our daily operations, but our children and the next generation who will carry on Nebraska agriculture.

Just like planting season, policy season requires attention, patience, and participation. The seeds have been planted. Now we nurture them.

Thank you for staying engaged, for speaking up, and for trusting Nebraska Farm Bureau to carry your voice forward. Together, we’re growing something meaningful — in our fields and in our Capitol.

Mark McHargue, President, Nebraska Farm Bureau

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