This week’s Open Mic guest is Michael Crowder, president of the National Association of Conservation Districts. For more than 75 years, farmers and ranchers have partnered with NACD to employ soil conservation practices to preserve natural resources and improve the productivity of their land. Today, conservation is seen as a means to mitigate the impact of climate change and help farmers sustainably produce food, fiber and fuel for the nation. Crowder says NACD is pleased to see additional funds...
Aug 14, 2022•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Nicole Berg, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers. The nation’s wheat farmers have two primary objectives for new farm programs including defending risk protection programs and a boost in baseline spending. The Washington wheat grower says the $5.50 reference price is below the cost of production for most wheat growers and must be addressed in the 2023 farm bill. Berg says wheat farmers share concerns about the availability of inputs for the new cr...
Aug 07, 2022•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Adam Putnam, CEO of Ducks Unlimited. The sportsman community has played an influential role in securing farm policy on Capitol Hill and continues to engage. As a former ag commissioner in his home state of Florida and 10 year member of Congress, Putnam understands and supports voluntary conservation programs that enhance the ability for farmers and ranchers to pursue environmental stewardship and productivity while employing science-based tools. Ducks Unlimited supp...
Jul 31, 2022
This week’s Open Mic guest is Chris Edgington, president of the National Corn Growers Association. Several hundred corn grower leaders were in Washington recently to discuss policy and meet with members of Congress. Edgington says ethanol and the Next Generation Fuels Act are at the top of the agenda for him and other farmers. Farmers are also concerned about the availability of inputs for the next year’s crop as well as regulatory actions that would limit the use of crop protection products or ...
Jul 24, 2022•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Steve Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association. Over 200 soy farmers and industry leaders were in Washington for their summer board meeting and visits with leaders on Capitol Hill. The 2023 farm bill was at the top of issues that included land and water regulations, crop protection products, the rail industry and labor issues. Censky says soy leaders may have real concerns about any shift in farm programs to margin coverage instead of revenue or reference pri...
Jul 17, 2022•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is John Bode, president and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association. The nation’s corn milling industry is seeing tremendous demand for its products, but like others in the ag industry faces serious supply chain issues. Bode says some mills have been forced to temporarily shut down due to transportation issues. Corn refiners have a huge stake in global trade and as well the acceptance of technology farmers use to satisfy industry demand. Bode has high hopes for the bio-ec...
Jul 10, 2022•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Andy LaVigne, President and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association. For almost a century and a half members of ASTA have worked to improve seed genetics for farmers around the world. LaVigne says opportunities to advance seed genetics are improving with the advent of genetic modification and gene editing. The limitation includes that of consumer acceptance and government approval. LaVigne says consumer desire for healthier and better food are a catalyst for grow...
Jul 03, 2022•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn. The House Agriculture Committee Democrat played an integral role in seeing the Lower Food and Fuel Cost Act across the finish line, which she says would help address supply chain risks, lower the cost of food and gas prices, strengthen the food supply chain and ensure robust competition in the meat and poultry sector. In this interview, Craig discusses her ongoing concern for the economy and the financial obstacles of writing new farm and n...
Jun 26, 2022•22 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Constance Cullman, president and CEO of the American Feed Industry Association. Aside from concern over available bulk commodity supplies for the season ahead, Cullman says the nation’s feed manufacturers share concerns about maintaining and growing global market access as well as trade agreements that provide needed mineral inputs for their customers. Cullman quips that the European Union’s regulatory structure provides greater access to feed ingredients that impro...
Jun 19, 2022•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Heather Hampton Knodle, President of the American Agri-Women. Hampton is an Illinois farm girl who married a farmer and continues a lifestyle of stewardship in the soil. The AAW were in Washington last week to meet with government agencies and leaders on Capitol Hill. Hampton Knodle says AAW wants freedom to pursue stewardship practices to provide food, fuel and fiber for the nation with greater certainty of farm programs and regulations from Washington.
Jun 12, 2022•21 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Jim Sutter, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council. Sutter sees an end to the current short supply of soybean oil and other vegetable crops. He expects global soybean farmers to respond to higher prices with increased plantings to meet growing demand. Sutter expects soybean oil demand to increase and suggests USSEC is working to grow market opportunities for soybean meal globally. Sutter is pleased with the U.S. investment in infrastructure but is concerned that the...
Jun 05, 2022•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. As the nation celebrates June Dairy Month, there is no rest for the dairy industry facing ongoing recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, trade challenges and supply chain issues. NMPF is calling on the Biden FDA to crack down on plant-based dairy substitute products and keep pressure on the Canadian government to fulfill its promises made under the USMCA trade deal. Mulhern says the 2018...
May 29, 2022•23 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Glen Smith, chairman and CEO of the Farm Credit Administration. While the farm economy balance sheet is in no way as challenged as in the early 1980s, Chairman Smith suggests there are developing similarities. Smith says there are active farmers today who survived the farm crisis four decades ago and yet others who’ve not experienced the financial pressure that comes from high interest rates. Smith explains the need for a farm safety net and discusses the need to su...
May 22, 2022•22 min
This week’s Open Mic Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member John Boozman. The Arkansas Republican says the Russian-Ukraine conflict is disrupting a major food production region and exacerbating global hunger. Boozman says it is time for Washington to act, not only addressing the immediate needs of starving people but enhancing opportunities to encourage American farmers and ranchers to step up production to meet global shortfalls. Boozman is encouraged that an upcoming committee hearing on new farm ...
May 15, 2022•23 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Despite the many challenges facing the nation and the global economy, McConnell remains optimistic. With the mid-term elections looming this fall, McConnell holds little faith for significant legislative action this year. He is critical of the Biden administration’s trade agenda and believes the U.S. could step up to fill Europe’s energy needs heightened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. McConnell supports additional globa...
May 08, 2022•20 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association. Washington has directed a large sum of funds to close the digital divide between urban and rural residents and adequate broadband coverage, but there’s no single agency working to coordinate efforts across the government. Bloomfield reports progress in many areas, but a process of red tape that sometimes stands in the way of major accomplishments toward expanded coverage. Labor and supply chain issues ...
May 01, 2022•23 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Jim Sumner, president and CEO of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council. After record losses to U.S. poultry in 2015 from highly pathogenic avian influenza, the disease is wreaking havoc again around the globe. Sumner says the biggest losses have come in laying hens. Some 150 detections have been reported in commercial flocks in 29 states, but wild bird detections have been three times larger than the previous round of the disease. Sumner says the supply of turkeys ...
Apr 24, 2022•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Betsy Ward, president and CEO of the USA Rice Federation. All of the U.S. ag industry is faced with inflationary pressure and supply chain issues this year, but Ward says the nation’s rice growers aren’t seeing higher prices for rice largely due to a lack of global market access including unfair trade practices from India. She says growers would like better direction from the Biden trade team and wishes Congress would step in with policy to help growers offset highe...
Apr 17, 2022•23 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Bryan Humphreys, CEO of the National Pork Producers Council. After a two-year delay thanks to the COVID pandemic, hog farmers from across the nation were back in Washington last week on Capitol Hill, meeting with lawmakers on issues facing the pork industry. Humphreys says producers targeted priority issues including herd health and safety, labor woes and a desperate need to forge new trade alliances to build global demand for U.S. pork. Humphreys discusses the grou...
Apr 10, 2022•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is U.S. Representative David Valadao. As a life-long resident of California’s 21st District, Valadao understands the importance of agriculture to his state and the nation. He shares concern over the mounting challenges drought is posing to farmers and consumers alike. He says state water regulations are a burden for farmers and wants to see D.C. do more to help his state and other Western states suffering from the state’s historic drought conditions. He is pleased ship...
Apr 03, 2022•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. Conner suggests some input challenges may be easing prior to the bulk of the 2022 planting season. He thinks partisan politics on Capitol Hill have Congress stalled legislative action on key ag issues but still believes legislators will come through with a new farm bill next year. Conner says it’s frustrating to see vacancies in key ag negotiating positions at both USDA and the U.S. Trad...
Mar 27, 2022•23 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa. The two-term representative is a 5th generation Iowan with an affinity for agriculture and rural subjects. Axne says supply chain issues are an issue for farmers approaching planting season with some crop decisions based more on supply availability than market fundamentals. She’s calling on the Biden administration to take steps to reduce tariffs on imported fertilizer and increase production and use of domestic energy supplies. Axne support...
Mar 20, 2022•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Alisha Schwertner, Chairwoman of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. The next generation of producers faces the growing pains of assuming or building an operation on thin margins while navigating many other challenges. Schwertner is a wife and mother of three, works in the ag industry and is an integral part of her family farming operation. The Texan believes there are opportunities for young farmers and ranchers to influence ...
Mar 13, 2022•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is USDA Undersecretary Robert Bonnie. As the agriculture department lead for farm production and conservation, Bonnie will play a significant role in administering any new climate or conservation programs offered by U.S. legislators. Proposed pieces of legislation would offer new funds and opportunities for farmers and ranchers nationwide, but have yet to be approved. Bonnie says the USDA will play a significant role in carbon markets meanwhile working to stimulate res...
Mar 06, 2022•23 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Tim Lust, CEO of the National Sorghum Producers. The race for acres is on in the U.S., and sorghum has a number of positives for growers to consider. Lust says export demand is promising while food and fuel uses for the crop continue to expand. Lust sees a role for the USDA in carbon markets and says his commodity group has a very strong climate story to bring to the debate. Sorghum growers are anxious to discuss new farm policy and have clear goals for the new poli...
Feb 27, 2022•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is U.S. Senator Jon Tester. Tester, the farmer and legislator, is concerned about price discovery in the cattle market. Despite concern raised by two major ag groups, Tester believes any final legislative solution will have to have some mandatory level of animals sold at auction. The Montana ag leader is concerned about geopolitical events including Russia and China and certain market ramifications if either or both turn to military action. Tester expands thoughts on c...
Feb 20, 2022
This week’s Open Mic guest is Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. Following a successful Executive Leadership Conference last week, Skor says some regulatory and judicial decisions have worked against the renewable fuels industry, but she’s encouraged with the role ethanol and all renewable fuels can play in addressing climate change and providing relief from high gasoline prices. State goals for carbon reduction are creating more demand for next generation biofuels and the Biden administration’s ...
Feb 13, 2022
This week’s Open Mic guest is P.J. Haynie III, chairman of the National Black Growers Council. In this interview, Haynie reflects on the mission and beginnings of a coalition of Black row crop farmers with the intent of sharing information and growth opportunities for Black farmers across America. Haynie, a fifth-generation farmer and descendent of a former slave, defines the decline in black farmers nationally and explains the coalition’s goal of educating, networking and identifying opportunit...
Feb 06, 2022•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Gary Adams, president and CEO of the National Cotton Council. Like other crop farmers, Adams says cotton farmers are burdened with uncertain input supplies and prices for the new crop year. Adams says infrastructure bottlenecks are also proving a challenge of satisfying market shipments to customers in the U.S. and around the globe. He says growers need predictability from Washington on what crop protection products will be available for the coming season and a real...
Jan 30, 2022•22 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the price discovery issue and the disparity between what producers are receiving for their animals and what consumers are paying for beef from the meat case. Consolidation in the meatpacking industry has drawn the most criticism, but analysis by academia and economists on Capitol Hill point to a number of different sources for the imbalance. In this interview,...
Jan 23, 2022•24 min
