It is time for Congress to choose farmers over politics

By Russell Boening, president of Texas Farm Bureau, who grows feed grains, cotton and wheat, in addition to operating a dairy and a beef cattle farm with his brother

As a farmer and rancher, I’ve learned to count on the seasons. They don’t wait. The crops don’t hold off until it’s convenient, and the livestock don’t adjust their needs to fit my schedule.

Yet here we are again, caught in a political freeze, waiting on Congress to pass a farm bill while our livelihoods hang in the balance.

Farm and ranch families operate in a unique business with obstacles beyond our control requiring a lot of faith. We have faith the weather will cooperate to let us plant, grow and harvest good crops. We have faith the commodity and livestock markets will stay strong. We have faith that when we experience catastrophic storms destroying our crops or an economic downturn, the next year will be better, and we can continue farming.… Continue reading