This week’s guest on Open Mic is Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. The Illinois Democrat will serve on the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Committee and discusses the many challenges of resolving differences in the respective proposals including SNAP work requirements, conservation programs and farm support payment limits. Bustos agrees the U.S. should work toward free and fair trade, but disagrees with the Trump administration’s tariff policy. Bustos supports comprehensive immigration reform and i...
Aug 05, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Congressman Rodney Davis. The Illinois Republican is a co-sponsor of pending immigration reform bill and shares his frustration with approving legislation to allow an adequate agriculture workforce. As a member of the farm bill conference committee, Davis strongly supports policy provisions in the House language and is ready to work with Senate leaders to resolve the two bills. Davis says the nutrition reform debate should be more about investing in job training ...
Jul 29, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western Growers who discusses his group’s concerns about trade, immigration reform and the Trump Administration. Nassif, a former member of the Reagan administration, says it is time for the U.S. to say “enough is enough” to unfair global trading partners but fears the economic backlash of an extended and exhaustive global trade war. Nassif explains why Western Growers oppose the Goodlatte immigration reform proposal and doesn’t b...
Jul 22, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is John Weber an Iowa hog farmer and a past president of the National Pork Producers Council. In this interview Weber reflects on the U.S. pork industry’s efforts to ramp up production to compete for a larger share of a growing global marketplace for their product. Now with a future clouded by retaliation from Trump trade tariffs, Weber says its time for the administration to deliver on promised bilateral trade deals and get involved in 21st century global trade. We...
Jul 15, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is economist Dan Kowalski, vice president of CoBank’s Knowledge and Exchange Division. With an already depressed farm economy and concerns about trade relationships with global trading partners, Kowalski says the industry has a lot at riding on the success of the Trump administration’s trade policy. CoBank says Canada, Mexico and China consume 30 percent of U.S. agriculture exports and over twice that amount is tied to nations either in trade negotiations or all out...
Jul 08, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Congressman Dan Newhouse. Trade and labor are said to be the top two issues facing farmers in his 4th congressional district. In this interview, Newhouse talks about the critical need for fair and open markets as well as the shortage of available workers that’s costing his state’s agriculture industry millions of dollars annually. The former state ag director continues to work toward reform of the nation’s immigration laws and looks forward to another attempt at ...
Jul 01, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Tom Sleight, President and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council. The Trump trade agenda has provided much anxiety in the nation’s ag industry on escalating tension between major trading partners and the threat of an all out trade war. Tom Sleight offers insight on the significance of the NAFTA renegotiating effort with Canada and Mexico as well as other global trading partners. Sleight says China offers tremendous potential for U.S. feed grain and co-product exports in...
Jun 24, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Kevin Skunes, President of the National Corn Growers Association. Corn farmers have grave concerns over President Trump’s trade agenda as well as EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s actions reducing volume demand for ethanol. In this week’s interview North Dakota’s Kevin Skunes voices farmer concerns over lost corn demand for renewable fuel and the potential loss of export market access. Skunes says corn farmers applaud the Senate Ag Committee’s approval of a new fa...
Jun 17, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Ambassador Allen Johnson, President of Allen F. Johnson and Associates. As Chief Agriculture Negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative's Office during the Bush Administration, Johnson successfully negotiated a dozen agreements on five continents. In this interview, Johnson offers his insight to the strong hand the Trump administration is using to bring about fair trade for U.S. farmers, industry and intellectual property. Johnson says initiating change isn’t ea...
Jun 10, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Tim Lust, CEO of the National Sorghum Producers. The nation’s sorghum producers survived a season of heavy Chinese trade tariffs for their product and now are hopeful trade negotiations can offer additional access to that growing market. In this interview, Lust discusses new global market opportunities for sorghum as well as the exponential demand increase here at home. Lust says they’re keeping a close eye on the EPA and potential changes to the nation’s Renewab...
Jun 03, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is U.S. Congressman Ted Yoho. As a member of the Agriculture Committee and the House Freedom Caucus, the Florida Representative offers insight into the failed vote for a new farm bill and key points for debate on immigration reform. Yoho, who was once a food stamp recipient, says there’s much to gain from approving new farm and nutrition policy this year and much to lose if Congress is forced to extend the 2014 law. He supports a new NAFTA agreement and says his far...
May 27, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. The renewable fuels industry is encouraged by a White House pledge to sell E-15 year round, but is concerned about the final outcome of the Trump administration’s discussions on the Renewable Fuel Standard. Skor suggests some possible conclusions might immediately lower corn prices and threaten thousands of renewable energy jobs. She is also concerned about hardship waivers granted by the EPA and has doubts about Administrator Pr...
May 20, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Congressman Frank Lucas. The Oklahoma Republican reflects on the multi-year effort of crafting what he defines as the third generation of farm programs in the 2014 Farm Bill. As the House prepares to consider a new language, Lucas says the spotlight remains on preserving risk management tools and potential shifts in social nutrition programs. Lucas supports the Trump trade effort and says tweaks to renewable fuel policy must be handled carefully.
May 13, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Senate Democratic Whip Richard Durbin. The senior Senator of Illinois anticipates upcoming legislative action on a new farm bill as well as consideration of appropriations for the coming fiscal year. Senator Durbin voted for the original NAFTA and is hopeful for a successful conclusion to its renegotiation. Durbin supports the nation’s energy law and believes the White House can resolve concerns with the Renewable Fuel Standard. Like many in the agriculture indus...
May 06, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. A long political agenda in the upper chamber is being further challenged by an extended list of confirmations for appointees for the Trump Administration. Kentucky’s McConnell gives an expected timetable for farm policy consideration and outlines his hemp bill that will be a part of the debate. McConnell shares thoughts on the Trump trade agenda, investment in infrastructure and goals for appropriations this year.
Apr 29, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is USDA Undersecretary Bill Northey. After an extended delay from nomination to confirmation, Northey, a fourth generation farmer and three term Secretary of Agriculture for his home state is on the job in Washington guiding the USDA’s efforts for farm production and conservation programs. Northey discusses Secretary Perdue’s reorganized plan for department programming and how the consolidation will impact farm customers and county offices across the country. Northe...
Apr 22, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway. As his committee plans to markup the 2018 farm bill proposal on Wednesday, the Chairman shares thoughts on the politics and the key provisions in the draft proposal including proposed SNAP revisions, conservation programs, and adjustments to Title 1. The Texas Republican also discusses the Trump administration’s trade agenda and trusts USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to provide protection to potential trade retaliati...
Apr 15, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson. A House Ag impasse on nutrition policy has delayed policy markup of the new farm bill. In this interview, Ranking Member Collin Peterson offers insight to the minority pushback on Chairman Conaway’s draft proposal and other challenges a divided committee may bring to farm policy consideration. Peterson is skeptical of President Trump’s trade strategy and has strong words for potential administrative changes to the nation’s rene...
Apr 08, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Ray Starling, Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture, Trade and Food Assistance. With a rich career demonstrating a strong advocacy for agriculture, North Carolina native Starling finds himself in the middle of critical decisions over global trade, renewable fuels, and future farm policy. Starling shares industry concerns over possible Chinese trade retaliation and understands the levity of a pending White House decision on the Renewable Fuel Standard...
Apr 01, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is U.S. Senator Pat Roberts from Kansas. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Roberts acknowledges the “rough patch” farmers and ranchers are in and the need for a timely approval of a bipartisan new farm bill. The Kansas Republican discusses the Trump administration trade agenda and possible government reaction to lost export sales. Roberts is paying close attention to administrative action on the Renewable Fuels Standard and doe...
Mar 25, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Dr. Jayson Lusk, Distinguished Professor and Head of the Agriculture Economics Department at Purdue University. With heightened debate on food and farm policy surrounding the development of a new farm bill, Dr. Lusk offers challenging insight about the relationship between political persuasion and food, work requirements for SNAP recipients and evolving preferences in meat consumption.
Mar 18, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is U.S. Senator Joni Ernst. The Iowa Republican says farmer concerns over possible changes to the nation’s Renewable Fuel Standard are justified and continues to implore the White House to consider the negative impact of a RIN price cap on farm income. In this interview Senator Ernst discusses agriculture’s need for global market access and offers her concerns over the Trump administration’s decisions on trade negotiations and metals tariffs.
Mar 11, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is John Heisdorffer, President of the American Soybean Association. Fresh from last week’s Commodity Classic meeting in Anaheim, John shares priorities for soybean growers in the coming farm bill debate, concerns about the implications of possible trade tariffs on top soybean customers and the need to embrace new technology for today’s farmers.
Mar 04, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Anne Hazlett, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development at USDA. Rural prosperity has been a priority for the Trump administration with Secretary Sonny Perdue leading an Interagency Task Force on the matter. In this interview, Hazlett outlines key findings in the report and the need for public and private agencies to work together to resolve critical quality of life issues in rural America.
Feb 25, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay. All eyes are on the next scheduled talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement amid anticipation of a breakthrough in the more challenging agriculture issues. MacAulay tells Agri-Pulse that “trade creates wealth.” He says Canada has no intention of walking away from the talks but will only sign a good agreement. MacAulay says negotiators were successful 23 years ago and he’s hopefu...
Feb 18, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Alex Moore, Chief Development Officer with the DC Central Kitchen. Hunger and poverty threaten hundreds of thousands of individuals in the DC area daily. Moore, along with the staff and volunteers of this nationally acclaimed nonprofit, feed thousands daily and offer job training and food education for people in need in DC and across the country. Moore says changes to federal food assistance programs would only heap an even greater burden on theirs and other orga...
Feb 11, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Tom Halverson, CEO of CoBank. As farmers and Ranchers deal with what appears to be another year of low commodity prices, Tom Halverson says there are other challenges that could add to the financial strain on the nation’s ag producers. In this interview, Halverson talks about the need for a new farm bill, open access to global markets and the downside of potentially higher interest rates. Halverson echoes President Trump’s call for infrastructure investment and b...
Feb 04, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is former USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. After a year on the job at USDEC, Vilsack says dairy farmers are counting on folks in Washington to grow global market access and deliver better support programs for the country’s dairy farmers. Vilsack says withdrawing from NAFTA would bring the worst possible outcome for agriculture and the dairy industry. He also discusses the upcoming farm bill and how failure to improve th...
Jan 28, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney. After only a few weeks in his new role, McKinney has already traveled thousands of miles on behalf of U.S. farmers and ranchers. In this interview Indiana’s former Director of Agriculture outlines the coordinated efforts of the Trump administration on trade, identifies potential market opportunities and speaks to the need for domestic infrastructure investment. McKinney outlines the cur...
Jan 21, 2018
This week’s guest on Open Mic is U.S. Senator Jerry Moran. The Kansas Republican participated in the American Farm Bureau Convention last week in Nashville and provided a pessimistic forecast for Congress to complete a new farm bill in 2018. Immediately, legislators face another spending deadline this week as well as consideration of disaster assistance and immigration issues. Moran supports continued efforts for better trade agreements and says NAFTA is simply too important to the nation for th...
Jan 14, 2018
