Amy France elected National Sorghum Producers chairwoman

Amy France of Scott City, Kansas, was recently elected as the first chairwoman of National Sorghum Producers. She has served on the NSP board of directors since 2018. Although France is enthusiastic about her three-year term as chairwoman, she is conscientious and measured in how she plans to represent not only the sorghum industry but also women in agriculture as a whole.

“I don’t want them to see a chairwoman standing there,” she said. “I just want them to see somebody who is fighting for sorghum and agriculture,” she said. “That’s my goal. Sure, I’m going to bring a different perspective, but the past chairman did, and the chairman before him. All I hope to do is to be able to move sorghum further in a little different way.”

France brings unique perspectives to farming, agriculture policy and leadership positions as she did not grow up on a farm. She became involved with the agriculture industry when she married her husband, Clint, a third-generation farmer. France held an off-farm job as a real estate lender until 2010, when she began working full-time on France Family Farms.

“One day my husband said, ‘I need help on the farm, and we can’t afford to hire anyone, so it’s you,’” France said. “That was an interesting turn of events, and I just got to the point where I thought, if this is 100% our income, I have to know exactly what’s going on.”

France got involved with her local Farm Bureau and eventually became chairwoman of the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee in Kansas. She was even asked to testify for a farm bill hearing in 2018. This allowed her to apply for the American Farm Bureau’s Partners in Advocacy and Leadership, also referred to as PALs.

 “This program gave me the tools and information and surrounded me with amazing leaders and mentors in agriculture that allowed me to not only learn more about agriculture, but have a safe place to go with my questions,” France said. “It prepared me to take another step in what led me to where I am today.”

On and off the farm

France’s family raises grain sorghum, corn, wheat and black Angus cattle, but just like her backstory, her responsibilities on the farm are unconventional. Her husband and older son do most of the physical farming, but France likes to say she drives the desk of France Family Farms.

Apart from her work in agriculture policy, she is often tasked with crunching numbers for the financial planning side of the business. However, France also drives the grain cart when needed and takes meals to the field.

“I felt like I really could make a difference on my family farm with policy, opposed to maybe being the person in the tractor,” France said. “I always tell my family, we don’t always need you to drive the tractor or move the cows. What we need is somebody who understands agriculture, who’s not afraid to talk about it, and so that’s really kind of what led me to this.”

France believes her agricultural story helps her connect with others and make them feel comfortable while advocating for sorghum. She said as more individuals become further removed from the farm, it can be difficult for them to relate to multi-generational agriculturists who grew up on farms.

“I’ve found myself being able to bring a different perspective to those conversations,” France said. “I don’t come in with tons of preconceived opinions or bred-in knowledge that can make others feel silly when asking questions.”

France said her experiences in sorghum leadership so far have allowed her to expand her network and learn more about improving the crop not only in Kansas, but also across the United States.

“It’s like a mind bank of great farmers and people coming together to not only further sorghum, but agriculture as a whole,” she said. “I always say I’m a collector of relationships. Others may collect shot glasses, spoons or postcards, but I love relationships, and sorghum has introduced me to a variety of personalities and individuals, and it really is fun to get their different perspectives.”

The future of sorghum

France said it is an exciting time for sorghum right now because buzz words like sustainability, drought resistance, non-GMO and gluten-free all apply to it.

“Sorghum can really check the boxes to all those asks, so my goals are to continue to move that forward, bring sorghum to the conversation as much as we possibly can and to promote our producers,” she said. “Many of them have been practicing sustainability long before it was a thing. We also want to help farmers who want to make that change and for it to make sense in their farm.”

 As far as agriculture policy, France said finalizing a farm bill that address the needs of farmers and ranchers is a priority. She also said low commodity prices, high input costs and fair crop insurance coverage are key issues.

“We’ve seen a 10% increase in some of our chemical applications just since April, and we’ve all been watching the markets, and they are certainly not reflective of what we’re producing,” France said. “There are obstacles that we’re facing, but we can’t move forward without being grateful for the progress we have made. It’s exhilarating and nerve-wracking all at the same time because I want to be able to represent our sorghum producers to the best of my ability.”

Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected],