The nation’s largest farm organization weighs in on a lot of issues that affect U.S. agriculture, but each year the AFBF board of directors choose the top issues for the year. Representing farmers and ranchers from all 50 states, who grow all types of crops and livestock, means the American Farm Bureau Federation must weigh in on a multitude of issues. “However we do not have unlimited resources and so it’s very important that we focus the resources we have on the issues that the board establishes as priorities to help us get the most bang for our buck.”  American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman says those priorities often stretch from one year to the next, and two in particular are targeted towards Idaho. “Two new ones for this year were the ad hoc disaster assistance which we think is necessary to meet the needs of a lot of farmers across this country that faced weather disasters this past year. Also the economic hit taken by dairy producers because of low milk prices created a real problem and so there’s a desire to look at dairy policy and ways to improve economically the plight of dairy farmers. We’re looking for a bill that is able to address the situation for those farmers and ranchers who have experienced losses.”