Did you know that, on average, Congress spends only 137 days in Washington each year? That means members of Congress spend the large majority of their time in their districts. American Soybean Association (ASA) farmer leaders do a great job representing soybean farmer priorities when they come to Washington, but we encourage our leaders to take advantage of this August recess, and the increasing amount of Congress' time at home to connect with lawmakers on "home turf."

Reaching out to lawmakers and making that initial connection is easier than you might think. First, visit www.SoyGrowers.com and click on the Soy Action Center link. There, you'll find contact information for Representatives, Senators, members of the Administration and even officials at the state level.

Then, find an opportunity to connect. This can be as simple as inviting a lawmaker to the farm, or traveling to a town hall or a public meeting. Another unique way to connect is to offer a photo opportunity on the farm. Once that initial connection is made, it opens the door for future conversations on the issues that matter for farmers.

Finally, don't limit interactions with lawmakers to just those from farm country. Of the 535 members of Congress, only about half come from states that grow soybeans, and even fewer than that represent agricultural districts. This means that to be effective, ASA must broaden our outreach to lawmakers from urban and suburban districts. It's important to remember that their vote counts just as much as a rural member's does.

For more ways to connect with members of Congress, both at home and in Washington, contact ASA's Washington office at 202-969-7040.