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Andrew Hoffner would like to get into crop farming, but he has a few challenges.

"I've got no land, no machinery, no buildings. It's a hard row to hoe," he said.

However, Hoffner, who works for a crop consulting company, learned how to make his voice heard during a visit to Washington, D.C. this month with more than two dozen other young farmers. The annual Young Farmer trip allows the farmers to meet with lawmakers and introduces them to Farm Bureau's lobbying process.

OFBF President Bob Peterson told the group that they can't rely solely on their farming abilities to be successful in agriculture.

"I could be regulated or legislated out of business, and that's my great fear," he said.

Peterson explained how Farm Bureau can carry the farmer's message through all levels of government to the president.

"It's an exciting trip to those of us on the state board, because you guys will bring some energy and excitement," he said.

During the visit, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns talked at length with the group about farm policy and responded to their questions.

Christy Lahmers, who helps operate a dairy in Ashland County, told Johanns that when milk prices fall, it seems to force small farmers out of business.

Johanns responded by saying when prices are high, producers tend to expand, creating enough supply to bring prices back down again.

"Literally, it's that straight forward," he said. He added that when he was growing up on a 30-cow dairy, there was concern that the farmer down the road milking 60 cows would put his farm out of business.

"This is really, truly the producers each making a decision about what their level of production will be," he said.

Johanns said that faced with rising input costs, farmers are going to have to get more from their land. One farmer told Johanns that a new tractor could cost as much as $350,000.

"You buy that, you better run it," Johanns said.

He added that American farmers will rise to a new level of production in the coming years.

"The one guarantee in your lifetime is that you will have to deal with change. The farm that you are farming today will not be that way in 10 years," he said.

Adam Putnam, a Florida representative whose family operates a citrus and cattle farm, met with the farmers to discuss challenges facing agriculture.

"Nobody has managed to fix the weather. Nobody has managed to fix the markets. On top of that, you've got to figure these new government regulations," he said.

Putnam, who is 32, said young people must be involved in politics.

"Everything we do in Washington will affect all the people in this room for much longer than the people that cast the votes," he said.

Caption: (Left photo) U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns (r) discusses the upcoming farm bill with Ohio farmer Jesse Durst (l). (Right photo) OFBF President Bob Peterson talks with young farmers in Washington, D.C.