Four Generations Built This Farm. One Bad Year Could End It.

Meet the Whatley family – four generations strong, farming the land they love in South Texas. Like many farm families across our state, they’re facing challenges that test everything they’ve built.

This year brought difficult realities. Trade policy shifts eliminated their milo market – a crop that once filled more than three dozen ships at the nearby port now has nowhere to go. At the same time, input costs have climbed so high that growing cotton means operating at a loss on every acre harvested.

These aren’t just numbers on a balance sheet. They’re decisions made far from the field that directly impact the families who feed our nation. When policy doesn’t reflect the reality of farming, operations like the Whatleys’ feel it first.

But here’s what you need to know about families like the Whatleys: they don’t quit. They adapt. They advocate. They show up – not just in their fields, but in Washington, D.C., sharing their story so lawmakers understand what’s at stake.

This is why advocacy matters. When farmers speak up about the real-world impact of policy decisions, change becomes possible. When their voices reach Capitol Hill, rural America gets stronger.

How These Issues Affect You

When family farms fail, your grocery bill rises and rural communities crumble. We’ve lost 140,000 farms in the last decade, and without a strong Farm Bill, families like the Whatleys can’t keep going. This isn’t just about farming – it’s about the future of our food supply and our communities.

Here’s where you come in. Share this story with your friends, your family, and your representatives in Congress. The more people who understand what’s at stake, the better chance we have at real solutions. Together, we can help keep family farms viable for the next generation.

Help Us Amplify Rural Texas’ Voice

Your voice matters! Share this campaign with farmers, ranchers, and rural communities across Texas. Together, we can ensure Congress hears from rural America.

If you feel compelled to share, copy this passage & link on your favorite platform:

Family farms keep our communities strong and our grocery bills stable. When they struggle, we all feel it. Texas agriculture needs our support – every voice makes a difference. Spread the word! #FarmBill #FarmCrisis #SupportFarmers #Agvocacy www.TexasFarmCredit.com/farm-crisis

About Farm Credit

Farm Credit has served rural families for generations. We’re here for the good times and the hard times—and right now, families like the Whatleys need more than credit. They need your voice.

When rural Texas thrives, we all thrive. Thank you for taking the time to understand these issues and for standing with agricultural communities across our state.