Historic event lends perspective to MFA’s board trip to Washington, D.C. Those of you who have followed this column over the years know that each June I join the legislative committee of the MFA Incorporated board of directors for a trip to Washington, D.C., where we visit with our nation’s leaders. By chance, our June 8 to 10 visit this year coincided with a historic event. The funeral preparations for former President Ronald Reagan changed our Washington visit this year. The mood in the capital was formal, traditional and somber. Being a Midwest farm boy, I was caught up in the situation, overwhelmed and humbled by the traditions of our great country in honoring our nation’s leaders. Ronald Reagan was a Midwest boy himself, having grown up in Illinois.

On Wednesday evening we were supposed to have a reception at the Capitol but that was the day they brought the body of our former president in from California. After our meeting adjourned at 4:30, I struck out on my own to view the funeral preparations. I picked a spot at 16th and Constitution Avenue and stood there. Within a short time, a black limousine stopped 20 feet from me. Out of the limousine stepped former First Lady Nancy Reagan, looking stately and gracious. She waved to the crowd and then supervised the loading of her husband’s body into the caisson. The Color Guard assembled right in front of me. Mrs. Reagan stood there 15 minutes while they transferred his body. It was a momentous occasion, one I’ll remember forever.

The proceedings changed the entire aspect of Washington, D.C. Streets were closed. Security was intense. Metal detectors were everywhere. Getting into the Capitol used to be easy. Over the years, of course, it has gotten more and more difficult. Where once we could use the tunnels connecting the different office buildings, we now had to make other arrangements. In today’s climate, however, all the security is understandable.

I consider the Washington conference an important task. The committee members and I attend a series of meetings coordinated by the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. It’s an effort to bring nearly 150 farmer cooperative CEOs, board chairmen, farmer directors and senior management to our nation’s capital. MFA’s legislative committee includes board chairman Lester Evans (Lebanon, Mo., District 13); David Cottrill, vice chairman (Albany, Mo., District 1); Stanley Hemeyer (Montgomery City, Mo., District 10); and Ted Sloan (Hamilton, Mo., District 4).

Our job while in our nation’s capital is to stress the important role farmer cooperatives play in helping individual farmers and ranchers derive more of their income from the marketplace, compete in a global marketplace, take advantage of value-added opportunities and maintain their independence. At MFA Incorporated, we take these responsibilities seriously. But we have an added role in these meetings with administration officials and our congressional representatives: We make it a priority to thank these people for their efforts on behalf of agriculture.

In a meeting with the Government and Public Affairs Committee, we visited with Ambassador Allen Johnson, who is chief agricultural trade negotiator with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. A panel featuring EPA Deputy Administrator Stephen Johnson and USDA Deputy Secretary Jim Moseley explored challenges posed by a range of environmental regulations.

Both trade and conservation programs were discussed in a session by Senator Thad Cochran, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Senator Cochran noted the possible pressures imposed by trade agreements and budget deficits on future agriculture spending and pledged to ensure that U.S. farmers have the ability to remain competitive globally.

At the White House on the morning of June 10, Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans provided us with an overview of the general business and economic conditions in the United States. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman reiterated that USDA remains committed to programs aimed at helping farmer cooperatives continue to take advantage of the value-added opportunities that help their members generate more income.

Also at the briefing was Alfonso Martinez-Fonts, a special assistant for private sector relations at the newly created Department of Homeland Security. He outlined programs designed to speed communications between private companies in the food and agriculture business and this new department. Such communications, he said, are a vital part of ensuring security of the food supply in the event of any future attack. The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives will help with such a program.

We also met with Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and of the Congressional Farmer Cooperative Caucus. He was key to including repeal of the triple tax on cooperative dividends of capital stock in the recently passed corporate tax bill in the Senate.

In addition, Missouri Senators Kit Bond and Jim Talent are working closely with Senator Coleman to support expanding and modernizing the lock systems on the upper Mississippi. These individuals are also vigilantly at work countering the efforts of those who would make a park out of the Missouri River floodplain. All of us in agriculture owe them a debt of thanks.