In late January, I had the privilege of planning and leading a group of passionate women from the Western Growers Women’s (WGW) Program on an inaugural advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., to advocate on behalf of the agriculture industry. With the expert guidance of Western Growers’ Federal Affairs Director, Tracey Chow, the women’s group took to Capitol Hill for several meetings. We met with Congressional offices, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials and industry partners to discuss topics that included the Farm Bill, labor, water, immigration and food safety.
We arrived in D.C. exactly one week after President Donald J. Trump was inaugurated. It was truly a unique time to be in D.C., with new changes and updates happening almost hourly.
The WGW group included: Rosa Bustillos (JV Smith Companies), Sandy Levya (Bonipak Produce), Megan Kavanaugh (Bio S.I. Technologies), Morgan Kelley (3P Partners), Tara Monreal (Westside Produce), Kellie Bauman (Bolthouse Fresh) and Western Growers employees Brittany Thomas, Anna Ramirez-Castro and Michelle Rivera.
We started our day of Hill meetings at the U.S. House of Representatives, where we met with House Committee on Agriculture Majority staff members. The group discussed topics, such as the Farm Bill and crop research. The staffers had a positive attitude and were confident that the Farm Bill would move forward with the new administration.
Our next visit was to the U.S. Senate, where we met with key staff members from Sen. Alex Padilla’s office. The group discussed California-related issues, such as how stricter immigration laws could affect California farmworkers. The staff assured the group that Sen. Padilla is doing all he can to address immigration issues and labor shortages in the agriculture industry. They also spoke about the senator’s current work regarding the California wildfires and water.
The final visit of the day was to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), where we met with Bruce Summers, Administrator for the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The discussion was heavily centered on how the new presidential administration could affect the agriculture industry and the type of work AMS does to support specialty crops. We were then given a special tour that ended with a photo opportunity atop the USDA building, which offered exquisite views of the National Mall.
The group noted that while our meetings ranged from frustrating to exciting due to the recent administration change, they provided a firsthand look at the many facets of our government. We ended the day with an evening reception, giving WGW members the opportunity to network with staffers from various California representatives’ offices and industry partners.
We rounded off our trip the following day with a tour of notable D.C. monuments and landmarks, guided by the company A Tour of Her Own. This tour company specializes in American history and life in D.C., with a focus on women’s stories. A personal favorite stop of mine was the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial. This Memorial also honors FDR’s wife and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt was a champion for women and is famously recognized in FDR’s memorial with a statue of her, accompanied by an inscription that states she was the “First United States Delegate of the United Nations,” rather than simply being referred to as First Lady.
As the group headed home, they left with a deeper appreciation for Western Growers’ advocacy efforts in D.C. and a renewed commitment to championing the agriculture industry in their daily lives.