Farmers, ranchers establish policy goals during 89th annual meeting

(WACO, Texas)—Texas farmers and ranchers established policy to help guide the agricultural advocacy efforts of Texas Farm Bureau (TFB), the state’s largest general farm and ranch organization.

Policies regarding renewable energy, tax abatements and foreign ownership of agricultural land were among the policies approved by the nearly 800 voting delegates gathered at the organizations 89th annual meeting’s business session Dec. 4 in Waco.

“The business session provides Farm Bureau leaders from across the state to set the policy goals for our organization for the coming year,” TFB President Russell Boening said.

Delegates approved several resolutions related to renewable energy, including support for the state regulating solar and solar battery storage facilities.

Farm Bureau leaders approved tax abatements being considered and approved at the local level and that projects seeking tax abatements on agricultural lands design their projects in such a way as to maximize the potential for continued agricultural production where feasible.

Delegates supported policy that opposes any foreign entity or persons receiving tax credits, abatements, incentives or any other in-kind contribution that affects the taking of agricultural land in the U.S.

Other resolutions approved by delegates related to feral hogs, drone use and transporting agricultural products.

On the national level, delegates supported a list of considerations and protections for farmers and ranchers regarding carbon credits, opposed any form of a Securities and Exchange Commission ruling that would require emissions reporting that could directly or indirectly impact farmers and ranchers and supported a limited irrigation category in the RMA crop insurance program.

State resolutions adopted at the TFB annual meeting become policies that guide the organization in 2023. National resolutions adopted by the voting delegates are sent to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) for consideration in its resolutions process.

Resolutions approved by AFBF delegates in January provide a roadmap for the national organization.

In other action, Walt Hagood of Lynn-Garza County, John Paul Dineen III of Ellis County, Warren Cude of Pecos-Reeves County, Mickey Edwards of Lampasas County, Pete Pawelek of Atascosa County and Brian Adamek of Victoria County were re-elected to two-year terms on the state board of directors.

Mark Daniel of Baylor County was elected vice president, and Hagood was elected secretary-treasurer.

For more information about Texas Farm Bureau, visit https://texasfarmbureau.org.

For more information and highlights from the annual meeting, visit https://texasfarmbureau.org/annualmeeting.