Arizona Farm and Ranch Group

Arizona is the 6th largest state. Almost 114,000 square miles of land and yet only 15% is privately owned. And, with the booming metropolis of Phoenix now ranks number 5 amongst the largest cities in the United States, quite a change from the once quiet desert town were my family farmed. The taming of the mighty Colorado and Salt and Gila Rivers, along with water infrastructure secured by prior agriculturalists, created the perfect environment to thrive. Times have certainly changed since I was a boy growing up in Arizona, but even though change may cause us to fear the unknown, we have always survived it.

Agriculture has advanced over time, meeting the demands of the markets and we are continuously striving to solve problems about meeting future demands with less. Irrigation practices have changed and now produce more with less water. Arizona agriculture is a $23 billion industry relied upon by millions of people each day. However, the industry is facing vast and intricate challenges including urbanization, threats to water rights, food safety and environmental issues. People don’t often think about rural land uses, the largest of which is agriculture. Urban people seem to want what we have but have no idea of how hard many of us have worked, lifetimes, usually, to provide food and fiber for our communities, state and nation. The fact is, that to compete in today’s markets and to ensure success now and into the future, we must manage our family operations just like fine tuned businesses using the latest in technology.

Amidst Phoenix’s burgeoning population and encroaching metropolitan areas, only three members of a 90-member Legislature are actively involved in agriculture. In short, a mere 3% of elected officials are involved in and advocate for agriculture. Go beyond the local officials and look inside the State and Federal agencies: there are even fewer who understand our business, and these are the people making the rules by which we must operate.

Arizona agriculture must move beyond the widely entrenched yet outdated association model, unite with a common voice, and stay engaged if we are to continue as a viable part of Arizona’s economy. Look to California where similar association models exist as in Arizona and the industry is very siloed based on what you grow, even down to how you produce it. Many of these associations and models are reaching 100 years in existence, which is a milestone, but one that has not been successful in competing with changing political winds. Everyday a new challenge arises in California, for businesses in general, and how is a farm or ranch supposed to survive? The recent shift in political elections in New Mexico have agriculture in the crosshairs and how do we convince urbanites that taking a predator saves the life of our livestock and also helps mitigate the loss of other wildlife? Arizona almost had a ballot initiative ending lion hunting and hunting of other large cats, while New Mexico currently faces legislation to ban trapping on public land, which Arizona lost years ago. The question remains if agriculture is prepared to meet the challenges outside of raising and growing food, like regulation, ballot initiative and elections. The challenges have changed and the effects are real.

Several years ago, I took the chance to run for the Arizona State Legislature against a Senate incumbent because I did not like the way I, or agriculture, was being represented. It took hard work and a great deal of effort from my family, close friends, political consultants and others to get me seated as the Senator from Arizona’s first legislative district. This was no easy task and it is not for the faint of heart; politics is a ruthless game, but it is the policy that will outlive my days of service that is most important. This certainly does not mean that you have to run for public office as I choose to do, but it is my experience of this opportunity that opened my eyes to the challenges we face as an industry to survive. I watched and learned first-hand that when there is not a united front carrying the same message, it makes it difficult for the elected official to make an educated decision on something that will impact your bottom line. It has become increasingly clear that we (agriculture) have to be more sophisticated and advanced in moving forward an agenda that protects our rights to produce wholesome, quality products at an economically sustainable rate. To be effective, we have to learn and to utilize the tools of today, which many of us may not understand or have the time to engage as we are focused on our job, which is producing food and fiber. Unfortunately, our opposition (environmentalists, animal rights groups and others) has mastered the trade of messaging elected officials and bureaucrats and scaring them by stuffing their inbox with letters from around the country. I think we all understand the resources these groups have, so we have to be more creative with our approach and think about addressing the problems of the future with less, just like our businesses.

The Arizona Farm and Ranch Group (AFRG) plans to just what I described and focus on legislative and regulatory issues that threaten agriculture the most. The AFRG will provide a unified voice to address the agricultural challenges of today, especially those affecting rural Arizona’s viability and integrity. Elected officials and those making decisions must understand that removing rural land uses, like agriculture, and impacting these businesses not only has a direct impact to the families that own and employ others, but also has a ripple effect for the local economy and state. AFRG was formed by dedicated community members who believe a strategically united front is required to protect the interest of Arizona’s agriculture industry and pursue favorable regulation. AFRG is governed by a 15-member board of directors representing diverse segments of agriculture including cattle, dairy, farming interests and agricultural business. The tremendous knowledge and vast networks of the leaders and membership will be leveraged for the betterment of the entire Arizona agriculture community.

AFRG has secured the talents of Patrick Bray, a longtime advocate for the cattle industry with over 10 years of experience. He started by cutting his teeth on two major ballot initiatives in 2006: Proposition 204, known as the Hogwash Campaign, that ended the use of gestation crates and banned raising veal calves in Arizona, along with Proposition 106 that threatened the future of State Land for the ranching and development community. Additionally, he has spent the last 11 years at the legislature and has been through several election cycles. He is an Arizona native, born into an agricultural family that is still farming today. AFRG leadership knows we have secured the necessary talent that can accomplish our mission by building upon Bray’s experiences of the past.

AFRG hit the ground running in late 2018 and was active in the most recent debates about the Drought Contingency Plan to preserve Lake Mead’s water. The group played a key role with other agricultural stakeholders to help ensure that the full mitigation was part of the larger package for Pinal County farmers. The devastating part about this package means that upwards of 30-40% of farm land will be fallowed when Lake Mead hits a Tier 1 shortage. While Arizona may have signed the legislation into law, agriculture still has challenges in front of us to ensure that all projects are completed and operational before 2023, which is the time frame by which all surface water from Lake Mead will be depleted for agricultural uses. Water is just one of ourmajor priority issues for the 2019 legislativesession and will continue to be an ongoingissue as water users continue to debate howwe effectively use what water is available.

In collaboration with Arizona’s agriculturalcommodity groups, AFRG will provide policymakers with up-to-date, applicable, andreliable information on critical issues facingthe industry. In doing so, AFRG will ensurethat Arizona agriculture remains a valuableeconomic driver.

We invite you to visit ourwebsite at www.azfarmranch.org, follow uson Facebook (Arizona Farm and Ranch Group),and Twitter @AZFarmRanch. Let us bring yourpassion and your voice to public policy makersand advocate on your behalf. Come grow withus!

CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Steve Pierce, President/Chairman Stephen Brophy, Vice President Bill Sawyer, 2nd Vice President Cindy Shelton, Treasurer Steve Todd, Board Member Paul Orme, Board Member Tim Robinson, Board Member Bob Prosser, Board Member Tim Cooley, Board Member Les Heiden, Board Member Jim Webb, Board Member David Feenstra, Board Member Dan Thelander, Board MemberWill Rousseau, Board MemberGlenn Hickman, Board Member