Inside Farm Bureau: Building relationships vital to Farm Bureau success

By Ron Peterson
Second Vice President
California Farm Bureau

Having recently completed my first year as a California Farm Bureau officer, one of the most exciting aspects of my position has been traveling to different parts of the state and connecting with our county Farm Bureau leaders and members. 

I believe relationships are critical to making a leader successful. When I was first elected, I wanted to help the organization build relationships with farmers in different counties so that they can reach out to me when they have problems, and I can reach out to them when I need advice on specific issues. 

One year into my post as the second vice president of the largest agricultural organization in California, I understand that relationship building is also essential to the long-term success of the organization. 

I came to my role as part of a new leadership team, and from the start, we saw unique opportunities to make meaningful changes this past year. With Farm Bureau being a grassroots organization, it’s important that county Farm Bureau members create and direct policies. Our job in the leadership team is to then implement their policies. 

California’s diverse crops, climate zones and farming population can make policy development challenging. Different regions face different issues, and developing policies that meet everyone’s needs can be tricky. 

That’s why getting my boots on the ground has been so vital in my leadership journey. Traveling to the state’s various regions has allowed me to hear more opinions and perspectives. This has allowed me to bolster relationships with counties to ensure we’re serving the needs of our members.

My travels have also allowed me to see how different parts of the state operate, and I’ve had a chance to receive important feedback from farmers in those regions. I’ve heard that California Farm Bureau can do better communicating and supporting counties with issues they’re tackling. I know some counties have felt as though they’ve been on an island sometimes and that they weren’t getting the assistance they would have liked. 

The leadership team has worked tremendously hard to be more responsive by meeting with farmers and leaders in different regions and helping them find solutions by involving our legal staff or policy team. 

During Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting last December, members had a chance to work through high-ranking topics during various breakout sessions. The meetings allowed people to literally sit at the table and provide input. The process was very well received, and we plan to continue and improve upon it. 

We’ve also changed the format of our commodity advisory committees—the grassroots of our policy development. Whereas we previously restricted the committees to one person from each county and spent about a week in March discussing specific topics, we’re now bringing more farmers into the fold by opening the input sessions to all Farm Bureau members and holding the committee meetings during an extended period. 

To encourage more participation and engagement, different county Farm Bureaus are hosting committee meetings in person and virtually. This change has really opened the process, with more people getting involved in the initial discussion that’s been key to how the organization forms policy.

As with most businesses and organizations, California Farm Bureau has had to grapple with tight budgets, but we’re working through those challenges and making sure we’re operating within our means. 

Going forward, I know California farmers and ranchers continue to face natural and regulatory challenges that threaten our existence, with the top one being water. We know that without water, there won’t be farms and ranches. That is why Farm Bureau is committed to finding workable solutions that allow California agriculture to thrive. 

It’s important that Farm Bureau remains a strong organization. We have been around for more than 100 years, and our leadership team wants to make sure we’re here for the next hundred-plus years and beyond so that we can continue to support California farmers and ranchers. 

As a leader, I believe we should always think about who’s coming behind us and whether we are giving them the resources and skills to be future leaders. In my role, probably the most important contribution I can make is to provide opportunities and experiences for younger farmers to become the leaders of tomorrow. 

Growing up, I had plenty of opportunities that helped me become the kind of person and leader I am today. I remember as a kid sitting around the kitchen table with my grandfather and his brothers, listening to their conversations about business, politics and social issues. Those talks helped form my perspective about life and establish my values. 

In building our leaders, Farm Bureau offers similar opportunities, albeit more formally through programs such as commodity advisory committees, listening sessions, Leadership Farm Bureau and Young Farmers & Ranchers that allow up-and-coming leaders to be part of the conversation as we solve problems for the future. 

We also need to continue to inform the public about farming and the rich abundance of safe, affordable agricultural products we deliver every day. Everybody likes to eat, but people tend to forget how that food gets on their plates. In all policy discussions, we need to remind the public what it takes to do our job so that we can continue to bring the state’s agricultural bounty to people’s tables.

Ron Peterson, a dairy farmer who also grows silage crops and almonds and raises beef cattle in Stanislaus County, is second vice president of the California Farm Bureau. He may be reached at rpeterson@cfbf.com.