Reaching Out to Urban Legislators: Q &A with Del. Mark Keam (D-35)



Del. Mark Keam meets with members of Albemarle County
Farm Bureau at the 2012 Virginia Farm Bureau Legislative
Reception.

 Farm Bureau and our members are very good at creating and maintaining relationships with legislators, especially our own. Many of you have personal relationships with your representatives, which are a great benefit when legislators need to hear where we stand on an issue like property rights and Sunday hunting.

But there's a group of legislators that don't get to hear the voice of the Virginia farmer as much. Why? Because they don't have any farms in the districts they represent. These areas include Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Richmond.

Why is it important to reach out to these urban legislators? Because their decisions have just as much impact on Virginia agriculture as  rural legislators. Some of these urban legislators even serve on the House and Senate agriculture committees.

Last week, I sat down with Northern Virginia delegate Mark Keam (D-35th) and asked him questions about agriculture, Farm Bureau, and what farmers can do to create relationships with urban legislators.

YOU can make an impact on the decisions your legislators make affecting agriculture

This week your legislators are making their way to Richmond for the 2012 General Assembly where they'll make decisions that will ultimately affect you and your families.

If you thought you did your part to ensure your voice would be heard by visiting the polls in November, think again.

 As grassroots coordinator for the Governmental Relations Department, it's my job  to provide you, our producer members, with the information, materials and confidence to contact your legislators effectively. Today's entry is a good reminder of things you can do during and after the General Assembly to create relationships with the people representing you in office. If there's a Farm Bureau policy issue that you are passionate about and want to contact your legislators, please don't hesitate to contact me, Kelly Pruitt, to help make sure your voice is heard. You can e-mail me at kelly.pruitt@vafb.com or call me at 804-290-1293.

The following is from an article by the Washington State Legislature (updated with Virginia links) on effectively communicating with your legislators.