May 14, 2019

New podcast from NDFB President

Topic: Issues

May 14, 2019: NDFB President Daryl Lies spent a few days, recently with the new U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief, Matt Lohr.

Download the Working Relationships mp3

Read the transcript:

How important are relationships? To NDFB, relationships are extremely important, especially when we talk about political relationships.

Senator Kevin Cramer, when he spoke to our annual meeting last November stated his great appreciation for the relationship he has with NDFB. And we appreciate that relationship also.

But his statement was so important, because even beyond elected officials, having relationships with those who run the agencies, or are heads of departments, or even staffers in agencies become extremely important for our membership to be able to move forward on the policies which they implement each and every year.

On May 8 and 9, I had the opportunity to expand one of those relationships. NRCS Chief, Matt Lohr, was in North Dakota and South Dakota touring and meeting and discussing with farmers and ranchers the challenges having to do with water management, wetlands, productive soils and other issues important to all farmers and ranchers.

I have a great friendship and relationship for nearly 30 years with Chief Lohr. And being able to now groom that relationship as president of NDFB is something that I believe is a great opportunity for the members of NDFB.

You see, it doesn’t matter where the relationship starts. We have staff members at NDFB that bring those relationships in for the organization. We have other members that have tremendous relationships that help foster those relationships for NDFB. And those relationships prove to be positive. Because there’s no better way to get our message across of what our members and our organization stands for, than to be able to do it in a very calm and friendly discussion.

No, that does not mean that we ever give up on being firm in our beliefs and our principled policies, but it’s always easier to have a friendly conversation than to constantly be at odds with those we need to work with.

So it was a great opportunity to spend two days with the new chief of the NRCS, who has only been on the job for five months, and be able to share our input and what our members believe they need to keep their farms profitable, which makes them sustainable into the future.