CCAs and advocacy: Virtual Congressional Visits Day

The Congressional Visits Day (CVD) program is an annual event hosted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America that brings scientists, students, and CCAs together to advocate for agriculture research. Under normal circumstances, CCAs and Society members travel to Washington, DC to meet with members of Congress. Last year, the 2021 Congressional Visits Day took place virtually. It was a resounding success! This year, we will build on everything we learned from last year’s event with another Virtual CVD. Even though we won’t be meeting in person, we are excited to continue our largest advocacy event.

Virtual Congressional Visits Day (VCVD) will have many of the same components of the in-person event: advocacy and communication training, presentations from invited speakers, interactions with a team of fellow advocates, and of course, meetings with members of Congress and their staff. We also hope to again have strong participation from CCAs at VCVD. It’s important to have as many CCAs as possible participate in VCVD since they play a critical role in connecting federal research funding to growers in local communities.

At last year’s virtual event, University of California graduate students teamed up with CCA Christopher Hight to speak with their representatives, including Congressman Jim Costa, a co-chair of the Congressional Soils Caucus. After his experience, Hight said, “It is extremely important for CCAs to participate alongside researchers in expressing the importance of work being done in agricultural fields to the men and women of Congress.”

Because Congress sets funding levels for agriculture research, and because research underpins the recommendations given to farmers and ranchers, “These recommendations will need to be shaped not only for what is best in the short term but also for what will keep them and us in business for the long term,” Height continued, and that is precisely what CCA voices bring. Hight said, “Let your voice be heard and join in the effort to participate in Congressional Visits Day.”

This year, VCVD will take place on March 7–8. If you are a CCA living in the U.S. and would like to participate in VCVD, reach out to your local CCA board or email Luther Smith at Send Message.

Participating in VCVD is an important opportunity to tell Congress about the value of CCAs, and we need YOU to do that!