Candid Conversation presents a discussion about the topical issues related to Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) priorities, the agricultural industry, and rural communities, in a question-and-answer format. In this column, Ericka King, Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation’s (KFBF) Director of National Affairs and Government Relations in the Public Affairs Division, discusses the importance of advocacy, especially during this farm bill year.

King comes to KFBF from Ervin Graves Strategy Group in Washington, DC, where, as a Vice President, she primarily advocated for clients in the agriculture and energy industries. Prior to her time at Ervin Graves, she was Legislative Counsel to Senator Rand Paul, serving as an advisor on agriculture, environment, energy, and education policy.

King is a graduate of Union University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and she also earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Mississippi College School of Law.

KFB: Would you share with our members some of the duties you have in this role?

King: I direct National Affairs programs for the Federation including monitoring and analyzing national legislative and regulatory proposals and actions which may affect KFB policy and Farm Bureau members. I have the opportunity to serve as an advocate for KFB and all of our farm families. In doing so, I get to be the go between for our farm families and members of Congress and their staff as we let them know what our priorities are and make sure that we can get them on board.

KFB: What are some of the things KFB members are talking to you about and issues that you're talking to them about?

King: This year is a big year for agriculture because it's Farm Bill year. One of the big things when it comes to the farm bill is talking about crop insurance and making sure that we maintain its funding through the bill and keep it at the same level, if not increasing it to make sure that our farmers are protected.

KFB: Every Farm Bill year, we hear the same thing as far as cutting costs. With the “trillion” word being heard in regard to total funding of the bill, though, how big of a difference does that make in getting this legislation across the finish line?

King: The Congressional Budget Office recently put out their cost estimate for the farm bill and right now they're thinking that funding for SNAP is going to be about 82 percent of the bill. Crop insurance is about 6.6 percent. For a lot of the Congressional members that you talk with, they're very budget conscious and they want to make sure that the federal government is spending those taxpayer dollars as responsibly as possible. You always want to keep that in mind when you're having conversations with Members of Congress and their staff, while reminding them how important these programs are in the daily lives of farm families and all Americans.

KFB: Crop insurance is such a big deal for those who are providing for our food, fiber, and fuel needs. What do our members need to do to emphasize that?

King: For KFB members, I always say, reach out to your members of Congress. Let them know how important these programs are. Let them know those personal stories as to how crop insurance has benefited them and their farms. Then for the Congressional members themselves, it's just making sure that they and their staff understand not just the programs, but what they really do for the farmers.

KFB: On the legislative side, how much leverage does Farm Bureau carry when it comes to talking to those folks, explaining the farm bill and other agriculture issues?

King: Both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees definitely lean on American Farm Bureau and the state farm bureaus and our collective knowledge when it comes to agricultural issues because they understand that our organizations have the information they, as lawmakers, really need when deciding legislative issues.

KFB: With so many of our legislators now not coming from a farming background, should we double down our efforts as ag advocates?

King: I really think so. One of the biggest things that we've talked about this year when it comes to the farm bill is making sure that we educate Congressional members. Since the last farm bill, there's been a 40 percent turnover in House members alone, not quite as much in the Senate, but there still has been some turnover. One of our biggest jobs at KFB, along with our partners at the American Farm Bureau Federation, is to make sure that we educate our lawmakers, not just on the importance of the bill, but also helping to manage certain expectations as to what they can see as far as policy changes.

KFB: Being a grassroots organization has worked well for Farm Bureau for well over a hundred years. How important is that structure and what do you say to our members about their advocacy efforts?

King: I would say each voice absolutely matters. Having spent time on Capitol Hill, I know, especially from the perspective of Kentucky's federal delegation, they listen to their constituents, and they make sure that they are logging those phone calls, checking those emails, and cataloging all of those concerns and priorities. If someone does have a concern, if they have a question, don't hesitate to reach out to those offices. Don't hesitate to reach out to us because that grassroots effort really does make a difference.