April 21, 2000

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

That might have been the motto of the Texas Farm Bureau’s first National Affairs Awards trip, held 25 years ago. Participants then tended to get a cold shoulder from congressmen, but there’s a world of difference in the reception today, as the largest Texas delegation ever to visit Washington, D.C., found out as they stormed Capitol Hill in late March to celebrate the event’s Silver Anniversary.

"We weren’t able to meet with the congressman," said Kenneth Dierschke, District 6 state director, who attended both the Silver Anniversary trip and that first trip 25 years ago. "Sometimes we would meet with their staff. It was just real hard to get an appointment. But with the rapport that we have developed with them today, it’s just a lot easier. We do get to see the congressmen and actually visit them."

Dierschke contributes the open reception to Farm Bureau’s grassroots base and the activity of its political action arm.

"Since we’ve had AGFUND it seems we’ve made some friends up here and we’ve developed some relationships that have really helped us," Dierschke said.

One of those supporters was Rep. Kevin Brady, who represents the 8th Congressional District.

"You have a lot of friends when you win a race but the ones who step up early...it’s based on principal and your relationship...and get in there and fight for you, they are very special," Brady said. "That’s why Farm Bureau’s special."

Although there’s a world of difference in the reception Farm Bureau receives today on Capitol Hill, some things never change. Take the issues, for example.

"When we were here the first time we were dealing with some trade issues," Dierschke said. "This time we’re also dealing with trade issues."

Texas Farm Bureau President Donald Patman said establishing Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with China was paramount among Texas Farm Bureau concerns as the group, over 120 strong and composed of National Affairs Award trip winners and the AGLEAD IV Class, visited with their individual representatives and both Sens. Phil Gramm and Kay Bailey Hutchison. Patman said opening trade with the world’s most populous country is extremely important to the future of American agriculture.

"This seems to be the front burner of the issues on this trip," Patman said. "This is very important to us and is very important to the Congressmen."

Something else that hasn’t changed is the necessity of grassroots lobbying efforts. This was brought home to Bryan Bishop, an AgLead IV participant and cotton farmer from Kress.

"The importance of hearing somebody that is an actual producer, that actually has some of those problems, they (congressmen) listen to that," Bishop said of his first Washington trip. "And I believe that’s back to the grassroots lobbying or grassroots implementation of policies that Farm Bureau feels is important for agriculture."