The American Farm Bureau Federation held its annual convention this January in Atlanta, Georgia—an international metropolis known for its Southern charm and hospitality shown toward masses of visitors (don’t forget, it played host to the 1996 Olympic Games).

Unfortunately the peach capital of the world isn’t used to snow and ice, and there was a lot of it during the convention, which shut down the airport and made roads impassable for days.

Considering the weather-related risks farmers take every year, it was only fitting that growers from coast to coast were in town for the storm.  The sheen layer of ice served as a constant reminder of the challenges of farming and the need for adequate funding and tools to deal with unforeseen disasters.

Of course, it isn’t just weather that farmers are wrestling.  Stranded airport goers had only CNN to watch, and intermixed in the headlines of the day were reports of political wrangling in D.C. and commodity prices, like sugar, riding a roller coaster of day-traders trying to make a quick buck.

And then there was the farm-related news not reported by CNN.  This news, of late, has been dominated by environmental zealots looking to micromanage business practices by telling growers what seed they can use, how much rain water can leave their land, and how much exhaust farm equipment can generate.

It’s gotten so out of control that there’s even been a push to regulate how much dust a farm can kick up.

Add these environmental attacks to the handful of opportunists looking to gut federal farm spending for their own gain and it’s easy to see why many growers are nervous about the future.

Too bad rural America’s opponents weren’t stuck in Atlanta with the rest of us.  If they had been, they could have spent some quality time with the men and women who feed and clothe them.  They would have probably learned a lot about the challenges of farming.  And they would’ve certainly received a crash course in the need for proper planning and resources.

Atlanta was paralyzed because the city lacked snow removal equipment and the funds to staff such removal.  If farmers and ranchers continue to come under attack from environmental extremists and others, they too will lack the technological infrastructure or policy to cope with inevitable challenges posed by Mother Nature and commodity markets.

And that would be a much bigger inconvenience to the country than an extended layover at the airport.

Agriculture supports 21 million jobs, hundreds of billions in economic activity, and is one of the country’s lone bright spots in international trade.  It is also at the heart of the country’s national security.  And it does it all for less than one-quarter of one percent of the federal budget—an unparalleled return on investment by anyone’s count.

If America is going to continue its climb out of the economic recession, it needs a strong and vibrant farm belt and a strong farm policy.  Conversely, the farm belt needs to be supported rather than attacked at every point of this critical juncture.

That’s why, before leaving Atlanta, the Farm Bureau was able to accomplish some important business and pass a series of policy resolutions aimed at protecting a strong farm policy—including no-cost sugar policy.

Expect us to be at the center of the fight, working hard on behalf of sugar farmers and producers of all commodities.  The stakes are too high for us to fail, and we aim to ensure America remains home to the world’s safest, most affordable, and abundant food supply.

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About the author: Mary Kay Thatcher is director of agriculture policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

This article appeared in the March issue of Sugar Producer Magazine.