Ep. 130 - Making Ag Policy Understandable with Tori Teegarden
Episode Summary
Some topics matter deeply to the Western industry, but can feel intimidating to talk about. Agriculture policy is one of them.
For many rodeo fans, ranching families, young producers, Western business owners, and people who simply care about land, food, water, and rural communities, policy can feel distant, political, confusing, or hard to approach. But this episode is a reminder that agriculture policy is not just something happening in Washington, D.C.
It affects daily life. It affects ranches, farms, water access, public lands, food production, permits, conservation, land management, business planning, generational transfer, and the future of the Western way of life.
On this episode of That Western Life, Katie sits down with Tori Teegarden, an agriculture policy advisor in the office of U.S. Senator John Barrasso. Tori brings a rare combination of real-world ranching background, meat science experience, food safety knowledge, policy expertise, and authentic Western roots.
Katie had been looking for a guest who could make agriculture policy feel understandable and empowered to utilize what they learned from the guest to have a real and immediate impact on their community for the That Western Life audience, Tori did exactly that.
This conversation breaks down what ag policy actually is, why it matters, how everyday people can get involved, and why the Western industry needs more people willing to ask questions, build relationships, and speak up before there is a crisis.
What This Episode Covers
This episode is for anyone who has ever thought:
Agriculture policy sounds intimidating.
I do not know who to call when something affects my ranch, farm, or community.
I want to get involved, but I do not know where to start.
I care about ranching, land use, food production, and water, but I don’t want every conversation to become a political fight.
I know policy matters, but I don’t understand how local, state, and federal governments connect for natural resources.
Katie & Tori cover:
What an agriculture policy advisor actually does
Why ag policy is more bipartisan than most people realize
How ranching and food production are affected by federal regulation
Why policy is different from politics
How everyday people can get involved at the local, state, and federal levels
What elected officials and staffers need from constituents
Why real stories, photos, and data all matter
How membership organizations help ranchers and producers stay informed
What the Farm Bill is and why it matters
Why local county commissioners, Extension offices, and state agencies are important
How young Western leaders can get more involved
Why agriculture needs people with lived experience at the policy table
What topics ranchers, rodeo queens, contestants, and Western leaders should study
Why Tori thinks Washington, D.C., needs a PRCA rodeo
About Tori Teegarden
Tori Teegarden works in agriculture and natural resource policy in Washington, D.C., serving as an agriculture policy advisor in the office of U.S. Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming. Her work includes policy related to agriculture, natural resources, ranching, federal lands, state agencies, producers, and the many real-world issues facing Western communities. Tori’s background is deeply rooted in agriculture.
Her family has ranching ties in Wyoming and Colorado, and she grew up with a strong connection to cattle, land, rodeo, and the Western way of life. Her grandmother was Miss Rodeo Wyoming, and Tori still keeps pieces of home with her in Washington, D.C., including Western family photos and artwork connected to her family’s ranching history.
Before working in policy, Tori studied animal science, meat science, and food safety. During the height of COVID-19, she worked on the harvest floor of a beef plant, an experience that helped her see firsthand how federal regulation directly affects agriculture, food production, animal welfare, and meat processing. It created her trajectory towards agriculture policy.
Her story is a clear example of why people with agricultural backgrounds matter in policy work. When legislation is being written, discussed, challenged, or implemented, it matters to have people in the room who understand the realities of ranching, livestock, food safety, and rural life.
Why Agriculture Policy Matters to the Western Industry
At the beginning of the episode, Katie names the tension clearly: agriculture policy can feel hard to approach.
It can sound boring.
It can sound too political.
It can feel like something only lobbyists, lawyers, elected officials, or agency staffers understand.
But Tori explains that agriculture policy is directly tied to daily life in the Western industry. Ranchers, farmers, rodeo families, rural business owners, landowners, Western events, and food producers are all affected by policy, whether they realize it or not.
Policy touches:
Grazing permits
Water use
Public Lands
Private property rights
Irrigation districts
Food safety
Meat processing
USDA programs
Conservation programs
Federal lands
State agencies
County decisions
Farm and ranch succession planning
Tax policy
Nutrition programs
Wildlife and endangered species regulations
Land management
Natural resources
For the Western world, agriculture policy is not theoretical; it is practical. It is the system that shapes how people work with land, livestock, food, and rural communities.
What an Agriculture Policy Advisor Does
Tori explains that her day-to-day work includes talking with ranchers, working with agriculture groups, meeting with stakeholders, reviewing legislation, helping write bills, staffing committee work, working with federal agencies, and helping communicate what is happening in Wyoming to decision-makers in Washington, D.C.
Her role is not just about sitting behind a desk. It involves constant communication between producers, organizations, agencies, staffers, elected officials, and policy experts.
One of the strongest points Tori makes is that agriculture is hands-on, and agriculture policy should be informed by people who understand the hands-on reality of the industry. That is why producer stories matter, why people should call their elected officials, and why ranchers, farmers, and western industry professionals should not assume their experience is too small or too local to matter.
A local issue can help shape a larger policy conversation when it is explained clearly.
Policy Is Not the Same Thing as Politics
One of the most useful distinctions in this episode is the difference between policy and politics. Politics often refers to parties, elections, campaigns, media fights, and public conflict.
Policy is different. Policy is the structure that affects what people can do, how programs operate, how agencies function, how land and water are managed, how food is regulated, and how businesses and producers interact with government systems.
Tori points out that the word “policy” has become tied to politics in people’s minds, but they are not the same thing. You can dislike political conflict and still need to understand policy. You can avoid partisan debates and still be affected by grazing permits, water regulations, USDA programs, tax rules, or local land-use decisions. For agriculture and the western industry, understanding policy is a form of responsibility.
Agriculture Policy Is More Bipartisan Than People Realize
A major misconception about Washington, D.C., is that no one works together. Tori explains that, at least in agriculture and natural resources, there is more bipartisan work happening than many people realize. Staffers and members may disagree on some issues, but they often share the goal of supporting agriculture, land stewardship, producers, and rural communities.
Katie connects this to her own experience working in the Capitol, where people might oppose each other on one bill and support each other on another the very next day.
Ag policy is not always a clean partisan fight. It is often about specific issues, practical consequences, regional needs, and real-world problem-solving. For ranchers and farmers, this matters because the goal should not always be to “win” a political argument. The goal should be to clearly explain what is happening on the ground and help shape better outcomes.
Ranchers as the Original Conservationists
Tori says something in this episode that many people in agriculture understand instinctively:
“Ranchers are the original conservationists.”
That statement matters because ranchers, farmers, and land stewards are often discussed in policy conversations by people who may not understand their daily relationship with land and natural resources. Ranchers work outside. They manage grass, water, livestock, wildlife interactions, fences, weather, drought, invasive species, and long-term land health. Their livelihoods depend on caring for the resource.
That does not mean every conversation is simple. Conservation, environmental policy, ranching, public lands, and natural resource management can all involve complicated disagreements. But the episode makes a strong case that better conversations happen when people start by recognizing shared values: land, food, water, stewardship, and the future of rural communities.
How Tori’s Meat Science Background Changed Her View of Policy
One of the most powerful parts of Tori’s story is her experience working in a beef plant during COVID-19. At that time, meat supply chains were under pressure, workers were facing major health concerns, and consumers were seeing shortages and disruptions at grocery stores. Tori worked on the harvest floor and saw firsthand how federal regulation affects processing. She describes an incident where a harvesting error caused the plant to halt production until a new plan was approved through the proper regulatory channels. For Tori, that was a clear moment where policy became real.
It was not distant. It was not abstract. It was happening right there on the plant floor.
That experience showed her how closely agriculture, food safety, animal welfare, federal inspection, and policy are connected. It also helped lead her toward graduate school, an internship in Washington, D.C., and eventually a career in agriculture policy.
Why People with Agriculture Backgrounds Need to Be in Policy
Tori’s path also highlights a larger issue: agriculture needs people with lived experience in policy spaces. When legislation is being drafted or reviewed, it matters whether someone understands cattle production, ranching, food safety, public lands, rural infrastructure, water, agriculture economics, or the realities of running a farm or ranch.
Tori explains that there are strong agriculture networks in Washington, D.C., including staffers, organizations, lobbyists, and national groups. But it is still important for people with agriculture backgrounds to step into these roles and help translate what is happening on the ground. A rancher might explain a problem one way. A federal agency may hear it another way. A staffer with ag experience can help connect the two.
Local, State, and Federal Policy: What Is the Difference?
Local Policy
Local policy includes county commissioners, county-level decisions, local land-use discussions, county fairs, Extension offices, and local agencies. This is often the easiest place for everyday people to get involved because local officials may live nearby and understand the community directly.
State Policy
State policy includes state departments of agriculture, environmental quality agencies, state legislatures, governor’s offices, state-level natural resource decisions, and state-specific agriculture programs.
Federal Policy
Federal policy includes Congress, USDA, Department of the Interior, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, federal grazing, Farm Bill programs, national legislation, and federal agency decisions.
Connecting Policy Levels
The three levels often overlap, but they do not all do the same thing. Tori notes that sometimes people call a federal office with a state issue, and while the federal office may not be able to directly solve it, they can often help connect people to the right office or counterpart.
The practical takeaway: start asking questions, even if you are not sure where the issue belongs.
Someone can usually help point you in the right direction.
How Everyday People Can Make a Difference
Katie asks Tori what it actually looks like for an everyday person in agriculture or the western industry to make a difference politically.
Tori’s answer is simple: start local.
That might mean:
Talking to county commissioners
Contacting an Extension office
Joining a local agriculture organization
Getting involved with Farm Bureau, cattlemen’s groups, commodity groups, or other membership organizations
Attending county or state meetings
Calling elected officials
Talking with staffers
Sharing real-life examples
Explaining how a regulation or issue affects your operation
Showing up before there is an emergency
The most important thing is not to wait until frustration turns into anger.
Policy change requires information, relationships, examples, and time.
What Staffers Need from Constituents
One of the most practical sections of this episode is Tori’s explanation of what staffers and elected officials actually need when people contact them.
They need to understand the issue clearly.
That includes:
What happened
Where it happened
Who is affected
What agency or rule is involved, if known
What outcome is needed
What has already been tried
Whether there are photos, examples, or data
How the issue affects real people, land, livestock, businesses, or communities
Tori says stories matter, but so do numbers and visuals. A personal story can explain the human impact, while a statistic can show scale. A before-and-after photo can make the issue easier to understand. The strongest advocacy often uses all three.
Why Membership Organizations Still Matter
Katie and Tori also talk about the value of agriculture membership organizations. For many younger people, joining a membership-based organization may not feel natural. But these groups can be extremely useful because they help organize information, connect members with elected officials, track policy updates, and create opportunities for people to testify, travel, meet staffers, and learn what is happening.
Membership organizations can include:
Farm Bureau
Cattlemen’s associations
Commodity groups
State agriculture organizations
Local livestock associations
Young farmer and rancher groups
Conservation districts
Rodeo and western industry associations
Natural resource groups
Tori points out that these organizations often bring real producers to Washington, D.C., or to state capitals. Those visits matter because staffers want to hear from people doing the work every day. A trained lobbyist can explain a bill. A rancher can explain what it means on the ground. Both are valuable.
The Farm Bill Explained
Tori explains that the Farm Bill is a large, comprehensive agriculture bill that is typically renewed about every five years. Despite the name, it is not only about farms. The Farm Bill includes multiple titles, including areas such as conservation, nutrition, commodities, rural development, forestry, research, energy, and more. Livestock programs are often housed within the miscellaneous title. One of the biggest parts of the Farm Bill is the nutrition title, which funds programs such as SNAP. Tori explains that nutrition was tied to the Farm Bill as part of a broader political compromise because agriculture and nutrition are deeply connected.
At the same time, many agriculture advocates argue that there needs to be “more farm in the Farm Bill,” meaning more focus on production agriculture, ranchers, farmers, and the people producing food.
The important takeaway: the Farm Bill affects far more than many people realize.
It impacts agriculture, food, conservation, rural communities, livestock, nutrition, and the broader food system.
How Long Does Policy Change Take
Policy change is not fast. Legislation can take a long time, especially at the congressional level. Bills may need to be introduced, reviewed, negotiated, passed through committees, passed by one chamber, passed by the other chamber, and signed into law.
Different members have different priorities. Staff changes. Costs matter. Political dynamics change. Agencies may move faster in some areas, but agency direction can also shift depending on administration priorities.
For people in agriculture, that slow timeline can be frustrating, but it is important to understand because good advocacy requires patience. Katie compares it to professional rodeo rule changes, where people are often surprised by how long it takes to move from proposal to implementation.
The lesson is the same: do not give up because something does not change immediately. Stay involved.
Topics Western Leaders Should Watch
Tori identifies several agriculture and natural resource policy topics that Western audiences should pay attention to in the next few years.
These include:
Federal grazing
Grazing regulations
The Endangered Species Act
Farm Bill updates
Livestock programs
Public lands
Natural resource management
Tax policy affecting farm and ranch succession
USDA programs
State and federal agency decisions
Conservation programs
Land and water policy
These topics are especially relevant for ranchers, farmers, rodeo contestants, western business owners, rodeo queens, young agricultural leaders, and anyone who may need to speak publicly about the western industry.
Why Rodeo Queens and Western Representatives Should Understand Policy
Katie makes an important point for rodeo contestants, rodeo queens, and western industry ambassadors: policy knowledge matters.
Rodeo queens, contestants, and public representatives are often asked to speak about agriculture, ranching, rodeo, rural life, animal welfare, western heritage, and current events. Understanding basic policy topics can help them answer questions with confidence and accuracy.
Topics worth studying include:
Farm Bill basics
Public lands
Grazing
Animal welfare
Food production
Water rights
Endangered species
State agriculture departments
USDA programs
Ranching and conservation
Western history
Rodeo’s role in agriculture and tourism
This does not mean every Western representative needs to become a policy expert.
But they should be curious, informed, and prepared.
The Next Generation of Western Leaders
When Katie asks what the next generation of Western leaders needs to do better, Tori gives several clear answers.
First, they need to get involved. The average age of American farmers and ranchers continues to rise, and there are not enough young producers taking leadership roles in policy, associations, and advocacy. If young people do not show up, they miss the chance to shape the future of agriculture.
Second, they need to use the tools available to them. Technology makes it easier than ever to email representatives, call offices, read Extension updates, track policy changes, follow university research, and connect with agricultural organizations.
Third, they need to keep an open mind. Agriculture is changing. Technology is changing. Policy is changing. Land use, food systems, consumer expectations, and production challenges are all changing.
The goal is not to abandon tradition. The goal is to preserve agriculture by being willing to adapt.
The Great American State Fair and Rodeo in Washington, D.C.
Katie and Tori also discuss the Great American State Fair and rodeo-style demonstrations taking place on the National Mall as part of America 250-related activities. Tori describes the event as a major educational opportunity, with all 50 states represented and different booths showcasing tourism, agriculture, history, natural resources, and state identity.
She also talks about the “shodeo,” a rodeo-style demonstration featuring elements such as bull riding, saddle bronc riding, trick riding, and rodeo history. The event introduces people in Washington, D.C., including many who have never seen rodeo before, to animals, western culture, and the history of the sport.
This kind of exposure is important as it brings agriculture and Western culture into places where people may not otherwise encounter it.
The Rodeo Change Tori Would Make
When Katie asks Tori what she would change, add, or modify in rodeo or the PRCA, Tori has a clear answer:
She wants a PRCA rodeo in Washington, D.C.
After watching people experience rodeo culture on the National Mall, she believes there is real interest in bringing professional rodeo to the nation’s capital. For people who have never seen rodeo, the exposure could be powerful.
Rodeo is not just entertainment. It is a gateway into conversations about agriculture, livestock, western history, animal care, rural life, and American culture. A rodeo in Washington, D.C., could bring those conversations directly to one of the most policy-heavy cities in the country.
Deep Thoughts on the Rodeo Trail with Tori Teegarden
Katie closes the episode with That Western Life’s signature question: Deep Thoughts on the Rodeo Trail.
Tori shares a quote she grew up hearing from her dad, often attributed to Albert Einstein:
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
For Tori, that idea has shaped the way she approaches frustration, growth, mindset, tone, behavior, and outcomes. When something is not working, she asks herself what needs to change.
That message fits the entire episode. If agriculture wants different outcomes, more people need to get involved.
If ranchers want better policy, they need to build relationships before a crisis. If the Western industry wants to protect its future, it needs to understand the systems shaping land, food, water, business, and rural life.
Change starts with doing something differently.
Listen to the Full Episode
Listen to this episode of That Western Life with Katie Schrock and Tori Teegarden for a grounded, approachable conversation about agriculture policy, ranching, public lands, the Farm Bill, rodeo, food production, and how everyday people in the western industry can get involved.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | ThatWesternLife.com