This week, nearly 30 farmers, ranchers, and water managers from across the West were in Washington, D.C., for the Family Farm Alliance’s annual Farmer Lobbyist Trip. Representatives from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Nebraska, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming met with members of Congress, senior agency officials, and White House staff to advocate for policies that defend Western irrigated agriculture.

The three-day trip, held September 16–18, featured over 50 meetings with leaders from the Senate Agriculture Committee, House Natural Resources Committee, Bureau of Reclamation, USDA, EPA, and the Department of the Interior.

The Alliance is focused on key issues including drought response, investment in aging water infrastructure, regulatory reform, and support for conservation and forestry programs.

“Our message is simple but urgent,” said Dan Keppen, Executive Director of the Family Farm Alliance. “Western irrigated agriculture is under immense pressure from drought, regulatory overreach, and rising input costs. But water security is a solvable challenge. We were pleased to see that lawmakers on Capitol Hill and policy leaders from the Trump Administration want to work to invest in infrastructure and streamline permitting related to those investments. Everywhere we went, there was a recognition and appreciation for the value of keeping water on farms.”

For Samantha Barncastle, who will succeed Mr. Keppen as Executive Director later this fall (both pictured right with Ea’mon O’Toole in the center), the trip is also about building relationships for the future.

“Farmers and ranchers are on the front lines of producing the nation’s food supply,” she said. “This fly-in gives them a direct voice in Washington, reminding decision-makers that food security starts with reliable irrigation water.”

As family farms face escalating challenges, the Farmer Lobbyist Trip underscores the Alliance’s mission: ensuring that Western producers have a seat at the table in shaping policies that safeguard water, agriculture, and rural communities.

This year’s Farmer Lobbyist Trip wrapped up with only 6 weeks remaining until the Alliance’s 2025 Annual Conference, which will take place October 30-31 in Reno (NEVADA). For more information on the conference, go to www.familyfarmalliance.org.