Four farmer/rancher members of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation have been selected to serve on the American Farm Bureau Issues Advisory Committees. The committees provide an avenue for Farm Bureau’s grassroots leaders to contribute their expertise on specific issues to the organization’s policy deliberations. Committee members meet in person once per year, and hold additional meetings via webinar or conference calls throughout the program year as needed to discuss new developments on their assigned issues. 

Outcomes of the committees’ deliberations include advice and counsel to the AFBF Board of Directors on policy-related actions AFBF might take, recommendations for state Farm Bureau policy development, and policy recommendations to the AFBF Resolutions Committee. Members also provide a bench of issue experts to testify at congressional hearings, meet with lawmakers and communicate with the news media, as requested. There are 12 committees.

MFBF members selected for IAC Committees include:

Farm Policy – Jillien Streit, a pulse crop farmer from Chester

Federal Lands – Tom DePuydt, a diversified farmer/rancher from Saco

Market Structure – Wes Jensen, a cattle rancher from Circle

Water – Mike Murphy, a cattle rancher and irrigator from Wolf Creek

The first meeting of the Issues Advisory Committees takes place February 17-18 at American Farm Bureau’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“We’re so pleased that four of our members will serve on these committees,” noted MFBF President Cyndi Johnson. “We know they will do well representing our state and voicing the concerns of our member farmers and ranchers.”