By Jonathan Eisenthal
Harold Wolle, Jr., knew it was a precious opportunity, and he had to make the most of it. He had a U.S. Senator in his combine. He had a chance for one-on-one conversation with one of the nation’s most influential lawmakers.
It’s an experience Wolle has had twice, hosting both Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Tina Smith on his St. James, Minnesota, farm during his term as president of National Corn Growers Association, from fall 2023 to fall 2024.
“Building relationships with our politicians; that’s the key. It really might be the most important way that we can be a voice for agriculture,” Wolle said. “Talking to the politicians who shape policy, just the two of you talking in your combine, that is a wonderful opportunity. I made the case for how we do things on the farm and how that forms the basis for our views on farm policy.”
Wolle used the time to present farmer priorities like E15 and strong overseas trade. If he had more time, he would have included another element, and he believes farmer-leaders should emphasize another reality in American farming practice—the growing emphasis on conservation.
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