GFB News Magazine

View from the Field Fall 2025

by Tom McCall
GFB President

Posted on September 7, 2025 9:44 PM

This summer, Jane and I had a chance to travel to our nation’s capital on Farm Bureau business to attend the American Farm Bureau Council of Presidents.

At the beginning of our D.C. trip, we had the pleasure of dining with six students from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences who were interning on Capitol Hill. They represent some of the most promising young people with an interest in agriculture, sustainability and the environment. I expect that one day, some of these students will be advocating for farmers just like you and me.  

While in Washington, Ben Parker, Georgia Farm Bureau’s national affairs coordinator, and I joined AFBF President Zippy Duvall and other Farm Bureau state presidents from across the country in visiting the White House. We met with several cabinet members, Trump administration officials and senior White House staff.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin took our questions and expressed appreciation that we traveled to D.C. to meet with them. Our group discussed Farm Bureau’s key priority issues with the officials, and farms of all sizes and types were represented in the Washington meeting. 

Topics discussed included the current farm economy, how we can preserve family farms, trade, the ag labor crisis, Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS), USDA disaster assistance and concerns about how the Making America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative may affect farmers’ ability to use crop protection tools needed to keep our nation’s food supply secure.

Attending this meeting reminded me that Farm Bureau gives farmers a seat at the table to help shape policy discussions and educate federal and state officials about what farmers are facing and what we need to be able to keep farming.

Also, while there, a few of us visited the Canadian Embassy and talked with their trade representatives about tariffs and the USMCA renegotiation.  This quote in a recent social media post from AFBF says it so well: “Our nation is stronger when farmers and ranchers have the resources and tools to do what they do best: feed the nation.”

We are fortunate to serve WITH you as proud Farm Bureau members.

GFB President Tom McCall & his wife, Jane, & GFB National Affairs Coordinator Ben Parker visited with the UGA CAES Ag Fellows serving internships in D.C., this summer. From left are: Andrew Luckey, Jane McCall, Anna Clifton, Pres. McCall, Addie Bennett, Joseph Waters, Olivia Cook, Luke Krohn, & Ben Parker.