It’s a widely accepted fact that Democrats struggle with rural voters. In fact, according to a report by the Associated Press, Democrats’ strategy for the 2020 general election wasn’t even to win the rural vote in swing state counties; it was simply to lose by less.
Although pundits have touted the suburban vote as the hot new demographic for Democrats, a McClatchy analysis of the 2018 midterm elections reveals an intriguing new trend: the Republican stronghold on the rural vote is eroding.
But one thing is clear: if Democrats want to win elections, they need to start winning over more rural voters. A key group with which they can make inroads is farmers. To do so, there are a number of agricultural organizations progressive Democrats can and should work with in order to better understand the rural electorate.
Take, for instance, the National Farmers Union.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) is the federation of state farmers unions in the U.S. With 24 regional and state divisions in 33 states, it represents approximately 200,000 members. It is an explicitly progressive organization that seeks to improve the lives of the nation’s family farmers, ranchers, fishers and rural communities.
NFU is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is funded through a mix of membership fees, individual donations and a handful of grants. Its revenue has steadily increased in recent years. In 2019, that revenue amounted to about $3.9 million, up from 2018’s revenue of $2 million, which is up from 2017’s total of $1.4 million.
Trouble on the Nation’s Farms
American farmers are facing an increasingly dire situation. According to NFU, some of the major issues include extreme weather events—which have been exacerbated by climate change—overproduction-induced low food prices, and corporate consolidation.
In order to address these issues and empower farmers, NFU employs three core principles in its operations: education, cooperation and legislation.
Hannah Packman, NFU’s communications director, explained how NFU helps its members through education. “We aren’t just a grassroots advocacy organization,” said Packman. “We also help farmers more directly through practical, hands-on education programs that help set them up for professional success.”
Some of these programs include the Beginning Farmer Institute, the farmer-to-farmer international program, youth education programs, and several scholarships provided through the National Farmers Union Foundation.
The second of NFU’s principles is cooperation. According to Packman, cooperation helps “keep money and jobs in rural communities, provides crucial services, and helps farmers earn a fair price.” NFU cooperates with a variety of organizations, including the Agricultural Council of California, Electric Cooperatives, and Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education.
Additionally, NFU seeks to strengthen relationships with groups that share common interests, such as teachers.
Agricultural Legislation and the Fight for a Progressive Farm Bill
But perhaps one of the most far-reaching ways NFU helps family farmers is through its legislative efforts.
Established in 1902, NFU describes itself as “the oldest and strongest progressive force in agriculture policymaking.” Because of its grassroots structure, NFU members decide on which policies the organization will adopt.
Some of their recent efforts include building diverse and competitive markets, establishing a strong farm safety net, supporting climate-smart agriculture and fighting against agriculture mega-mergers.
In 2019, NFU spent more than 1,200 hours lobbying officials in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and congressional leaders.
“It is imperative that candidates for political office at all levels of government—local, county, state and federal—understand the crisis facing rural America and respond with positive policy proposals to strengthen agriculture, protect family farms and ranches, and support our rural communities,” states NFU on its website.
NFU is fighting for a progressive farm bill—the omnibus bill that encompasses most of the U.S. agriculture and food programs. The bill is renewed every five years and includes crucial legislation on rural development, agricultural research, and food and nutrition programs like SNAP.
According to Packman, the biggest policy goal for the next farm bill, which is due in 2023, is supply management.
“Current policy encourages the overproduction of many commodities, which pushes down prices and makes it difficult for small and mid-sized farmers to stay in business,” explained Packman. Data published by the USDA’s Economic Research Service shows that farmers and ranchers receive approximately 14.6 cents out of every dollar consumers spend on food.
Packman added, “By balancing farm production with consumer demand, we can address one of the root causes of farm closures, guaranteeing farmers fair prices rather than relying on government payments.”
Other policy goals for the farm bill include fully funding nutrition assistance programs like SNAP without adding any unnecessary requirements for recipients and supporting conservation programs in order for farmers to address, mitigate and adapt to weather extremes.
Lessons for Democrats
So what can politicians do to help? According to Packman, “the best way legislators can better represent farmers is by giving them a seat at the table during policy development.”
“Farmers understand their own needs better than anyone else does,” she added. “So by really listening to farmers about the issues they’re concerned about, lawmakers can make sure policies meaningfully address those concerns.”
During last year’s Kansas Farm Union’s state convention, Rob Larew, who now serves as NFU’s president, explained that politicians on both sides of the aisle fail to understand the needs of farmers.
“When you look at the Congress, it is so divided in so many different ways that the farm voice itself and that rural community voice is often lost down,” said Larew.
Larew added that although the factions of Congress are so different, their infighting and lack of understanding of the needs of farmers have led to major issues for rural communities.
“You get these two factions that you might think of traditionally as being so diametrically opposed ideologically, and yet in ways like this, they can join forces and create a real challenge,” said Larew.
So what can Democrats learn from NFU and its work? First and foremost, it’s crucial not to ignore the rural electorate as Clinton did in 2016. Instead, Democrats need to reach out to family farmers and ranchers and listen to their concerns. Doing so will reveal that the concerns raised by many farmers intersect with those of left-wing activists. Many farmers share progressives’ worries about climate change, monopolistic practices and fair compensation.
In the meantime, NFU will continue to advocate for and empower the nation’s farmers.
“One thing Farmers Union has a long history of doing is being, quite frankly, that pain in the ass that just stays in there, fighting the fight, and that’s how it happens,” said Larew.
“There will always be reasons why we cannot have a progressive farm bill,” he added, “but we will be there at the very front arguing just the opposite.”
