Aug 28, 2025

Ag Labor Review: Barbershop talk reveals “good lobbyist”

“He’s one of the good lobbyists.”

This comment came from my new barber and was directed at the next customer who was patiently awaiting a cut. It was my third visit to this barber, and, if you have ever been to a barber, you know how many barbers have an affinity for chatting while you are in the chair.

“Yeah, this guy fights the good fight and works hard against the swamp monsters,” he went on, drawing a welcoming nod of acknowledgement from his next customer, who seemed to know the barber better than me.

However, this barber had proven himself to be exceptionally insightful in his reference to me, despite only spending about 45 minutes with me over the two previous visits. And my haircuts don’t take a lot of time because I don’t have a lot of hair. Absolutely brilliant insight on his part.

However, I knew that the barber had very little knowledge about what I work on with Congress and the federal agencies on behalf of the members of the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE). What he did know was that I advocate in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the finest people on the planet: America’s farm and ranch families. 

Great ag job

That is one of the side benefits of my job. Americans everywhere love to eat, and they feel very positively about the hands and people behind the hands that make that possible.

Farmers and ranchers have an aura of goodness around them that translates well to non-aggie brethren. It’s an aura that reminds us of the best of who we are. It is a mystique of sorts that is bolstered by our acts. That mystique combines a basis of family, hope, optimism and faith.  It’s a mystique that reflects the goodness of who we all aspire to be.

Despite all the odds against American agriculture (the whims of Mother Nature, trade and domestic policies determined by those with little connection to what happens in rural America), American farm and ranch families persevere. They daily risk their capital — typically a family legacy — to feed and clothe us each day. And they are the best in the world at what they do.

So even though my barber probably doesn’t really know all that much about what I do or who I am, I am allowed to bask in the halo created by the people I work for. That’s how I get to be one of the “good lobbyists.”

DC champion

One thing the barber did understand from the few interactions we had enjoyed was that the people I represent had determined that they needed a champion in Washington on the issue of agricultural labor. It is a vocation I am proud to engage in.

Our members look to NCAE to be thought leaders and solution finders. They look to us to have passion for agricultural families and the people in their enterprises who help their family businesses succeed. Council members look to us to be informed and innovative in our approaches to dealing with our audiences in Washington, many of whom are unaware that their food comes from somewhere other than the grocery store.  

They appreciate having someone in their corner. People who listen to them, care about them and step in to help. A bulwark against bad ideas.

And sometimes — speaking of having someone in their corner — it’s also important that our members know they have someone who, if necessary, will not only stick up for them but also match their courage and be willing to step into the arena and fight.

So, until the next time that I need a haircut, I have my charge. I will work my tail off to always be “one of the good lobbyists.”

— Michael Marsh has led the National Council of Agricultural Employers since 2017. A Wyoming native and certified public accountant, Marsh worked for a CPA firm with farm and ranch clients investigating fraud. He was director of finance for the Almond Board of California for 7 years and for 15 years was CEO of the largest U.S. dairy producer trade association.