Your farm group says an end to the pandemic starts with you

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Your farm group says an end to the pandemic starts with you

Thirty state and national agricultural organizations have joined together with an open letter to their members encouraging producers to take the same approach they do with their livestock: vaccinate.

The groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Milk Producers Federation, and several others, say they too are frustrated to see rural resources depleted and overwhelmed rural health care systems at this point in the pandemic.

The ag leaders say there is no shortage of scientific data that supports the effectiveness and necessity of COVID-19 vaccines, and ag producers who rely on science every day need to do their part for the health of their families and communities to support vaccinations.

The group points to agriculture as the pioneers of COVID vaccines decades ago in preventing bovine coronavirus since the 1970s as key to the development of safe and effective vaccines for humans today.

As the number of Delta cases rise, they urge people to vaccinate to protect themselves, their communities, and the economy.

Leaders signed onto the letter include:
Tara Artho, Texas Grain and Feed Association

William Beaton, Agri-Mark, Inc.

Jay Bryant, Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association

Stephen Censky, American Soybean Association

Chuck Conner, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

Daren Coppock, Agricultural Retailers Association

Jon Doggett, National Corn Growers Association

Zippy Duvall, American Farm Bureau Federation

Stephanie Eckroat, Kansas Dairy Association

Dr. Barbara Glenn, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture

Allan Huttema, Darigold

Janet Klein, Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association

Daryl Larson, Bongards Creameries

Andrew LaVigne, American Seed Trade Association

Kirk Leeds, Iowa Soybean Association

Chuck Lippstreu, Michigan Agri-Business Association

Jim Mulhern, National Milk Producers Federation

Chris Novak, CropLife America

Steve Records, Grain Elevator and Processing Society

Corey Rosenbusch, The Fertilizer Institute

Greg Schlafer, Foremost Farms USA

Jayne Sebright, Center for Dairy Excellence

Ron Seeber, Kansas Grain & Feed Association

Mike Seyfert, National Grain & Feed Association

Joseph Smentek, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association

Jim Sutter, U.S. Soybean Export Council

Owen Wagner, North Carolina Soybean Producers Association

Betsy Ward, USA Rice

Gary Wheeler, Missouri Soybean Association

Richard Wilkins, Mid-Atlantic Soybean Association