A new year brings new beginnings and an opportunity to foster new relationships. As a new session of Congress gets underway, some Congressional staff will be transitioning to new offices and new roles within existing offices, providing us with opportunities to bolster existing relationships and create new ones. Likewise, the Trump 47 Administration has started to get settled in and implement its policy initiatives. The Senate continues to hold cabinet confirmation hearings and vote on approval of nominees. The next steps will be hearings and confirmations for undersecretary positions, and then we will start to see agency level initiatives really start to get underway.
With all the changes, Edge is working diligently on behalf of our members to build new relationships with agency and Congressional staff, revisit existing relationships, start making new connections and advocate our 2025 policy priorities. The Edge team visited with a wide range of agency and Congressional offices in the first part of February to highlight our 2025 policy priorities as well as communicate the current pulse of dairy farmers in the upper Midwest.
Additionally, Edge farmer members and staff traveled to Washington, D.C., in mid-March to meet with federal lawmakers and agency leaders to discuss current challenges facing the dairy community. Congressional representatives had the chance to speak directly with farmers and learn about the most important issues that matter to our members.
Meetings focused on our policy priorities, which include:
Rural Workforce for Rural Prosperity — The dairy industry faces significant labor shortages, particularly in rural areas, making workforce accessibility and reliability a top policy priority.
Farm Bill Advocacy — The 2025 farm bill will be an essential opportunity for Edge to advocate for ensuring accurate and timely payments for dairy farmers and to retool existing program adjustments needed to the Dairy Margin Coverage program, ensuring conservation programs are funded, voluntary and based on science, as well as maintenance to several dairy indemnity and donation programs. These programs can greatly affect our farmers’ ability to earn a living.
Trade and Supply Chain — The Upper Midwest is a powerhouse for cheese production. Ensuring opportunities for dairy through existing, expanding or emerging markets is essential to healthy growth. New and expanded markets through new trade agreements, renegotiated trade agreements and enforcement of existing agreements provide opportunities for market access.
Environmental Sustainability — Edge stands with our farmers in their commitment to seek effective and financially viable ways to protect and improve water quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We believe environmentally focused policies affecting agriculture should be guided by farmers, grounded in science, driven by the marketplace and sufficiently flexible to allow for innovation at the farm level.
Making our voices heard
Edge Vice President, Michael Crinion and Director of government affairs, Karen Gefvert attended a fundraiser for Senate Majority Leader, John Thune (R-S.D.) with special guest, Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.), on behalf of the Edge Political Action Committee. Opportunities to connect with leaders in Congress, their staff and other allied industries opens doors for new relationships, coalitions and advocacy opportunities. Members’ generous PAC contributions make these opportunities possible and provide us with potential new allies to advocate on behalf of our members.
As we continue into what is shaping up to be a whirl-wind Congressional session with many high-level issues to tackle, the Edge team and advisors will be tracking, strategizing and weighing in on our policy priorities on behalf of our members. There is no doubt that there will be issues that arise this year that will require a louder voice — your voice. As those issues arise and the timing is right, watch for our issue action alerts. We will need many voices to weigh in on important issues like the farm bill, rural workforce, trade and programs and services that farmers utilize.
If ever we can be of assistance or if there are questions, please reach out to me at kgefvert@voiceofmilk.com.