U.S. agriculture is known for being big, bold, and ready to lead.

Our farmers and ranchers are the descendents of great Americans who conquered the Wild West, took a chance on a piece of land that might lead to a better life, and served as the backbone of a young country that has grown into the powerful nation that it is today.

So, when U.S. agriculture is under attack, it's no surprise that it is farmers and ranchers who will come to its defense.

Last month—just a few weeks before farming organizations from all over the country descended upon Capitol Hill for Ag Day—a group of 32 representatives traveled to Washington, D.C. from the fields of Minnesota.

These 32 members make up an organization known as Minnesota Ag and Rural Leadership (MARL). The purpose of MARL is to "facilitate the development of the skills of people working on a daily basis to tackle the challenges and realize the opportunities of today as well as those that will present themselves tomorrow," in hopes that these skills will prove beneficial on economic, political, and social fronts.

About two-thirds of the group is in agricultural production, while one-third is invested widely in rural interests. There are bankers, social service workers, commodity group representatives, and a variety of others—allowing the group to act as a check-and-balance system to ensure that all perspectives are seen and all needs are met.

When members join MARL, they commit to a two-year educational program which consists of instate seminars. For example: participants in The Needs of the Many seminar met with state legislators and local nonprofits about urban issues that are shared by rural communities.

An international study tour (past groups have visited Mexico/Costa Rica, Argentina/Chile, China, South Africa, and Cuba) and a national study tour that focuses on getting the attention of policy-makers in Washington, D.C. are also major components of the program.

In addition to meeting with Congressional Members, each group met with one friend and one foe. For example, a group that met with the Renewable Fuels Association to discuss how the two groups can better promote the benefits of ethanol, may have also met with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) or the American Meat Institute (AMI).

Elizabeth Tanner, a member of MARL and representative of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, was part of the group that met with AMI. "We were surprised and pleased to learn that we were meeting with someone who had a farming background and that, aside from our disagreements, shared several of our policy positions."

"I think it gave all of us some new perspective," Tanner said. "We never expected to change their position but we wanted an opportunity to have a discussion and make a connection and that's what we did."

It remains to be seen whether or not any positions were changed as a result of this exercise, but introductions were made and steps were taken to acknowledge shared interests.

"This has been the most valuable experience throughout the seminar," Tanner continued. "If we were able to learn so many new and positive things about organizations that we've struggled with for years, maybe they feel the same way about us."

"As our class reflected on our experiences in D.C., it was clear that everyone was leaving with a better understanding of the political process and a greater confidence moving forward."

While the members of MARL are all representatives of agriculture, they seem to grasp the concept of public policy better than most. By making the trip and the effort to reach across the aisle to their known opponents, they have opened the door for conversation and maybe even a little compromise.