A group of 30 Iowa Farm Bureau members representing two dozen counties traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to meet with Iowa’s congressional delegation and USDA officials to discuss policy issues critical to Iowa agriculture and farm families. Among those making the trip were Matthew and Hilary Lanman of Fremont and Aaron Hinnah of Oskaloosa, according to a press release from the Iowa Farm Bureau.
The delegation met with U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, as well as Representatives Ashley Hinson, Randy Feenstra, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Zach Nunn. Members also attended presentations and meetings with U.S. Department of Agriculture officials and American Farm Bureau Federation staff covering taxes, environmental protection, biofuels, and grain marketing.
One of the delegation’s top priorities was urging lawmakers to complete work on the farm bill, which passed the House in May but still awaits Senate deliberations. Members thanked the Iowa congressional delegation for its efforts on issues including E15, the farm bill, and protecting interstate commerce. Rising input costs and economic challenges were consistent themes as farmers shared how federal policy affects their communities back home.
Steve Hameister of Linden, a Guthrie County Farm Bureau member and FFA instructor, spoke to the challenge of getting young people into farming. “The biggest concern I see is how expensive it is for young people to get started,” Hameister said. “High input costs make it difficult for them, and many want to continue family farm traditions, so helping young farmers get started is one of the biggest issues we face.”
The delegation also urged lawmakers to protect interstate commerce from disruptions caused by state-level production mandates such as California’s Proposition 12. Members warned that allowing one state to impose its production preferences on others would create a patchwork of conflicting laws that would disrupt supply chains, hurt family farms, and drive up costs for consumers.
On biofuels, members pushed for permanent authorization of year-round E15 sales, arguing that expanded availability would provide consumers relief at the gas pump while delivering environmental benefits as a cleaner-burning fuel. While the EPA’s summer waiver was welcomed, members said permanent E15 legislation is needed to provide lasting certainty for Iowa’s biofuels industry and agricultural economy.
