Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/264154
www.potatogrower.com 67 don't have a farm bill? It isn't just the dif- ferences of policy. It's the fact that rural America, with a shrinking population, is becoming less and less relevant to the politics of this country, and we had better recognize that and we'd better begin to reverse it." After the initial shock of hearing that farmers are becoming less relevant to politics and policymakers, the truth of the numbers set in. In 1955, 10 percent of the labor force worked in agriculture; today, only 0.7 percent of Americans work on farms. In addition, rural voters accounted for just 14 percent of the turnout of the November 2012 elections, and that num- ber continues to shrink. As I look ahead to my year as NPC's president, my No. 1 goal is to get back some of the political voice that slipped away as farm numbers diminished over the decades since my uncle held the NPC gavel. We must continue to work with other organizations in agriculture to form strong grower coalitions to accomplish policy goals such as passing a farm bill, fostering free trade agreements, and fighting for common sense environmental regulations. Just as importantly, we must grow the collective voice of NPC by connecting with individual growers to help them see the benefits of getting involved with the politi- cal process. While there may be fewer than 4,000 potato growers left in the United States, we represent billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs in economic production, and we support small-town communities across the nation. Potato growers have a strong voice. Now we just need to use it. Together, we can ensure that 2014 will be another big year for NPC and the industry. I look forward to working with the NPC executive committee, board of directors, and growers across the country on meeting the policy challenges ahead and getting more growers involved in the process. We have a positive story to tel,l and we need everyone's help to tell it. PG Randy Hardy owns and operates Hardy Farms in Oakley, Idaho, with his wife Karlene and son Ben. He was elected in January to serve as president of the National Potato Council (NPC) at the group's annual meeting in San Antonio. Hardy's experience includes serving as chairman of the U.S. Potato Board and on the NPC board of directors, most recently as that board's vice president of trade affairs.