President's Message: Share your story where important policy is shaped

By Shannon Douglass
President
California Farm Bureau

As a farmer or rancher, what are your biggest barriers to success?

Is it profitability? Access to technology? Burdensome regulations? Access to inputs? Most of us would answer: all of the above—and more.

At Farm Bureau, we work every day on practical business solutions and strong advocacy. But here’s the truth: The most effective voice for agriculture isn’t mine, and it isn’t our staff’s.

It’s yours.

That’s why I want to personally invite you to participate in our Calling on the Capitol Series. This is your opportunity to meet directly with key legislators and their staff members at a critical point in the legislative process. And new this year, you’ll also have the chance to engage with regulatory officials who shape the rules that affect your farm and business.

The Calling on the Capitol Series matters because it creates space for farmers and ranchers to speak for themselves.

Our advocacy team does an outstanding job representing agriculture. They bring expertise, policy analysis and relationships built over years of work—the kind of foundation that only a strong membership organization like ours can provide. But they are not the ones making payroll, managing water reductions or navigating ever-changing compliance requirements on your farm or ranch.

When you walk into a legislator’s or regulator’s office as both a voter and a business owner, it changes the conversation. Facts and statistics are important—and we share those. But what policymakers remember are your stories. They remember the farmer who had to idle productive ground because production costs exceeded the return. They remember the rancher who lost 20 calves to wolves. You tell the real stories that policymakers may never have fully considered—or can even comprehend. They remember the real-world consequences behind the bill number.

And those stories make a difference.

More often than not, elected officials genuinely want to do the right thing. But they can’t possibly be experts in every industry. Unless we take the time to explain how proposals affect agriculture, they simply won’t know.

If you’ve never participated before, I understand it can feel intimidating. That’s exactly why the Calling on the Capitol Series is structured the way it is. Whether this is your first visit or your 15th, our team prepares you. We review materials, provide handouts and organize visits so you’re never walking in alone. You’ll be part of a team, supported every step of the way.

We’ve also made the series more efficient based on your feedback. By consolidating into fewer, strategically timed days in April and May—just ahead of key bill deadlines—we ensure your time in Sacramento has maximum impact.

And if you’re able, consider bringing a friend, neighbor, or even a high school or college-aged son or daughter. This is a powerful way to introduce the next generation to the importance of engagement. The fewer elected officials we have with direct ties to agriculture, the greater the need for them to hear directly from those of us who live it every day.

Each year, that need grows. We are outnumbered. But when we show up—in person—we are heard. That’s the power of standing together as Farm Bureau.

Calling on the Capitol is not just another event. It is agriculture activating at the moment it matters most.

I hope you’ll join us.

Calling on the Capitol Series schedule

Join your fellow Farm Bureau members for legislative and regulatory visits during our Calling on the Capitol Series. These one-day trips are designed to maximize your voice while minimizing your time away from the farm. Your story can make a real difference.

Participants will receive issue briefings, materials and support from Farm Bureau staff to ensure productive meetings with legislators, staff and—new this year—regulatory agency officials.

• March 18: The California Farm Bureau Board of Directors will launch the series with a full day of meetings with legislators, regulators and senior administration officials, followed by presentation of the inaugural Champion of Agriculture Award.

• April 21: Young Farmers & Ranchers members from across the state will meet for a dedicated day of advocacy at the Capitol.

• May 5: Members from Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo-Mono, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Tulare and Ventura counties will advocate.

• May 26: Members from Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mendocino, Modoc, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas-Sierra, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba-Sutter counties will advocate.

If you’re unable to attend on your county’s assigned date, you’re welcome to register for the other visit.

Make your voice heard. Register today at cfbf.com/capitol.