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VanderWal: Need for farm organization greater than ever

The vice-president of the American Farm Bureau Federation says the need is greater than ever for general farm organizations.  Scott VanderWal tells Brownfield Ag News the Farm Bureau came into being because farmers didn’t have a strong individual voice, but they’re a smaller part of the demographic now.

“It’s a bigger job, overall, to help educate consumers and help them understand what it is we do and why we do the things we do,” said VanderWal.  “That all affects policy through the fact that our elected officials are elected by those people.”

VanderWal, who’s also president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, says the organization has respect and influence among farm policy makers.

“It’s not a stretch to say that we are having a true impact on policy wherever we go, at both the state and national level,” said VanderWal, “and we have several examples of that where that work is really representing our members on both levels.”

VanderWal spoke to Brownfield Ag News during the Centennial Convention of the South Dakota Farm Bureau.

AUDIO: Scott VanderWal (5 min. MP3)

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