We began the day with a visit to the capitol, which culminated in a House gallery tour. Thanks to Congressman Ami Bera, our class was able to view the floor session from the House gallery, giving us a chance to see Congress at work.
In the afternoon, Class 54 split into four groups to meet with members of California’s congressional delegation. We met with 8 members of Congress or their staff, which may well be a record for Ag Leadership’s national trip in recent years. Each member of Congress that we met with was passionate, reasoned, and genuinely interested in improving the lives of people in their districts and in our nation.
In our meeting with Congressman Mike Thompson, he had a very clear land-use ethic and an appreciation for agriculture. He thanked Class 54 for meeting with him and he stressed the importance of members of Congress staying connected to their constituents. He met with our group for quite a while, even though he had another group waiting. The leadership lesson we took from this is to be generous with your time because it shows people that you care.
With three Ag Leadership fellows from Congresswoman Julia Brownley’s district, we were keen to understand how she is tackling the challenges of a government in flux. She shared her passion for doing the right thing, representing the interest of her diverse district from agriculture to military to intense urban, and fighting for the fundamentals of democracy.
At Congressman Jared Huffman’s office, we met with Greg Barranco, a fellow on loan to Congressman Huffman’s office from EPA. He expressed optimism for EPA and agriculture programs having the president’s full support over the next four years. The leadership advice this group received is to reach out to those with differing views from your own.
Congressman Jimmy Panetta encouraged Class 54 fellows to get to know your opposition. Get to know the people, understand the issues, and find similarities. Patience is key. Even if not everything is going your way, keep working on getting base hits. His staff boosted the confidence of or group by calling agriculture the last bipartisan issue, indicating members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are interested in supporting agriculture.
Four constituents from Congressman Doug LaMalfa’s district met with the Congressman and talked about wildfires, dams, and tariffs. His leadership advice is to lead by doing, everyone do their piece. Be consistent, but also be willing to change with new information.
Congressman Ami Bera exemplified “leading with heart” during our meeting with him, encouraging us to not be afraid to fail and to pay it forward. He talked about balancing domestic needs with our ability to improve lives across the globe.
Another year of Ag Leadership fellows had a chance to meet with Congressman Jim Costa. Congressman Costa shared some of his favorite leadership advice with the group: there’s no substitute for hard work and treat people the way you want to be treated.
Congressman Vince Fong applauded Class 54 for visiting with our Congressional delegation, noting that decisions are made with or without you—you need to be in the room when decisions are made. He also stressed the importance of relationships and the need to separate the person from the policy or issue.
To close out the day, we were able to see a different side of Washington, DC by touring the monuments at night. The peacefulness of the evening, the shadows cast by the lights, and the massive marble structures combined to give the city a solemn feeling, underscoring the importance of the work that goes on here and the hundreds of millions of lives affected by decisions made in our nation’s capital. The monuments are reminders of our great leaders and our wars. Of lives lost and lives protected. Of a country always striving to reach our full potential.
The biggest takeaway from the day was to remember Congress is designated to represent people, and our participation is crucial in cultivating policies that impact the agricultural sector. By embracing this understanding, we can become more effective advocates for our agricultural community and help drive positive change.
With gratitude,
Allison, Janeth, Jenny and the members of Class 54
