Glenn Brunkow, Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher
Warning: Today’s column is about politics and the upcoming election. Wait, don’t stop reading because what I have to say is especially important and will affect your farm and ranch for a long time to come. I know we are all tired of the constant fighting and mudslinging and what happens in D.C. and Topeka seem to be millions of miles away. I am here to tell you what happens in both cities hits close to home.
Over and over, I hear about how good people have turned off politics and just do not participate anymore. Friends, we have to change that. I am begging, no I am pleading, with all of you to get involved in this next election cycle and help make Kansas Farm Bureau’s voice stronger.
Voters Organized To Elect Farm Bureau Friends (VOTE FBF) has a great record when it comes to endorsing candidates, but this is no time to get complacent. We must make our voice heard. VOTE FBF’s track record when it comes to endorsing candidates is so strong because we involve, or try to involve, every county and every member in the process. I know I sound like a broken record, but our strength is our grassroots.
This is the time of the year when VOTE FBF starts to make decisions on which candidates to endorse in both our federal and state elections. The very core of the process is the recommendations from each county. It is important, especially in state races, because you know your candidates, your voice and opinions carry great weight with the VOTE FBF board.
It’s true, you need to have at least donated $5to VOTE FBF, but that is a small price to have a say in who makes the rules and laws that affect our livelihoods. We need to make sure we are surfacing and supporting legislators who understand and back agriculture. The only way things will get better is if we are involved, and that has to start now.
First, familiarize yourself with the candidates in your area. Read their websites and go meet them. Find out who supports your way of life and who will represent your point of view in D.C. and Topeka. Then go to your county office, pay your $5 if you haven’t already and ask to be part of the process. I will bet you won’t be turned down.
I hope there will be deep, meaningful conversations about which candidates to back around those board tables. Most of all, however, I hope we have feedback from all 105 counties. I can’t emphasize how important the next two election cycles are to agriculture and rural Kansas. We must make sure we have a say in which candidates represent us.
Get informed and get involved because we need your input to ensure we endorse pragmatic leaders who understand agriculture and rural Kansas. Now is the time to get involved and make sure Kansas Farm Bureau and VOTE FBF continue to be the Voice of Agriculture in the years to come.
"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.