January 14, 2021
ARA has a long history and positive reputation of building valuable relationships among members of Congress, their staff, and key regulatory agencies with one goal in mind – to advocate on behalf of ag retailers and their farmer customers.
My company, like many others, relies on ARA's team of public policy experts to constantly monitor regulations and legislative updates that could impact our agribusiness operations and take action through public comments or letters when our freedom to operate is challenged.
I'm thankful, especially after such a trying year, that GROWMARK is a member of ARA. Their focus on federal advocacy on behalf of all retailers allows us to focus on serving our customers, America's farmers, and work together to ensure the stability of the nation's food supply chain.”
At least once a year, ARA members from retailer and supplier companies across the country fly to Washington, DC, to attend the ARA Legislative Fly-In and meet face-to-face with their representatives in Congress and their staff. As we face the need to host virtual meetings in the midst of the continuing coronavirus pandemic, I encourage you to take this opportunity to sign up some of your team who may not usually be able to participate due to travel cost or time restraints.
The 2021 ARA Virtual Legislative Fly-In will begin on Feb. 11 with a Mastering Congressional Meetings workshop and a Federal Issues Briefing. These workshops will be great for those who have never attended a fly-in before or for those who would like to enhance their approach.
Then, participants will attend virtual meetings with their elected officials based on their geographical region from Feb. 15 through March 19. The regional meeting schedule is below:
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Feb. 15-19 Region 5 (WA, OR, CA, ID, NV, UT, AZ, NM)
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Feb. 22-26 Region 4 (MT, WY, CO, ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, TX)
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March 1-5 Region 3 (MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, MI, IN, OH, KY)
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March 8-12 Region 2 (AR, LA, TN, MS, AL, GA, NC, SC, FL)
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March 15-19 Region 1 (VA, WV, MD, DE, PA, NY, RI, CT, NH, VT, ME)
Registration is free for ARA members, but required to receive information to participate. In recent Fly-In events, ARA members have discussed transportation & infrastructure needs, labor shortages, prevent plant dates and more with their representatives.
One voice may not feel like it makes a difference, but all of our voices combined cannot be ignored.
Again, I highly encourage you to make the most of this virtual event and build new experiences for your team members who may have never met with their elected officials. I also find it helpful to have these experiences with Congress and regulatory agencies when discussing options with our farmer customers.
Join ARA in its mission to educate and advocate in our nation's capital. Sign up yourself and your team today.
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The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) is a nonprofit trade association representing the interests of retailers across the United States on legislative and regulatory issues on Capitol Hill. As the political voice of agricultural retailers, ARA not only represents its membership but also educates members on the political process and important issues affecting the industry. © 2020
Agricultural Retailers Association
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 700 | Arlington, VA 22203 | United States
Phone: 202-457-0825 | Fax: 202-457-0864 | info@aradc.org | www.aradc.org |
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