Mar 29, 2024

Ellis County Farm Bureau board member addresses American Farm Bureau Federation

Posted Mar 29, 2024 7:06 PM

Submitted

Recently, Laura Haffner, Hays, an Ellis County Farm Bureau member, attended an American Farm Bureau Federation fly-in in Washington, D.C., to present her experience with farm labor.

Haffner operates a custom-harvesting business that travels from Texas to the Canadian border harvesting wheat and other small grains. Haffner visited with reporters and lawmakers throughout the day.

"There are real consequences," Haffner says on the lack of ag labor. "Right now, we're losing farms right and left who are struggling to fill those roles with labor. Whether it's labor costs or input costs, we're being squeezed from all directions right now. And once you lose those farms or farmers or even ag businesses, you don't get that back."