This week’s Open Mic guest is Dr. Tom Zacharias, President of the National Crop Insurance Services. Crop insurance companies have proven effective in providing risk management resources for farmers and ranchers who have suffered losses from various extreme weather events over the past several months. He outlines many of the changes the industry has undergone and how the public-private partnership delivers quicker help for policyholders. Zacharias says companies are financially sound and ready to...
Dec 01, 2024•25 min
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. Farmers continue to help feed the hungry, but the number of Americans who are hungry and food insecure is greater today than during the Covid pandemic. Babineaux-Fontenot says the food lines may have moved back inside the buildings, but the need for food continues to grow as contributions are down and federal commodity donations have decreased. Babineaux-Fontenot says federal nutrition programs should be amended ...
Nov 24, 2024•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Ryan Heiniger, Executive Director of the Conservation Technology Information Center and Iowa farmer. He explains why CTIC has high expectations for the Sustainable Agriculture Summit scheduled for this week in Minneapolis. Heiniger discusses government programs and industry interest in helping farmers embrace sustainable agriculture practices. He previews a new "Conservation Connector" which will be introduced this week to help inform producers of assistance to brin...
Nov 17, 2024•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Michael McAdams, President of the Advanced Biofuels Association. After an extensive career serving on Capitol Hill, McAdams founded the ABFA in 2006. The group represents all aspects of the advanced biofuels in the nation from large refiners to major feedstock providers and new technology groups. McAdams believes government statutes for advanced biofuels are not working with taxpayer incentives to grow the industry. While the nation transitions to new leadership in ...
Nov 10, 2024•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Kip Eideberg, Senior Vice-President Government and Industry Relations for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Like the industries they serve, equipment manufacturers are familiar with the cyclical turns in farming, forestry, construction and mining. Eideberg says higher interest rates, a lack of trade agreements and sluggish economies around the globe and in the U.S. are proving challenging for the customers to make capital purchases. Eideberg is hopeful Con...
Nov 03, 2024•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Randy Russell, President of the Russell Group. The race for the White House and leadership of the 119th Congress is coming down to the wire. The majority of polls show very narrow margins, but Russell suggests some trends may be developing as indicators of a Harris or Trump administration. Russell says history could be made in this Congressional election but control of the House of Representatives may not be known for several days after Nov. 5. Disaster assistance w...
Oct 27, 2024•26 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Dan Basse, President of AgResource Company. With over 45 years of experience in the global grain market, Basse has seen cyclical swings in commodity prices and farm income many times before. Unlike years gone by, the United States farmer is no longer the primary supplier of grains to the international market and is politically and financially being squeezed out of what were once promising markets. Basse says price is no longer the primary driver of export sales and ...
Oct 20, 2024•23 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson. The Minnesota Democrat is concerned how misinformation in the campaign for the White House is impacting voters across the nation. Peterson believes there’s still time for the Congress to approve a new farm bill, but admits the results of the election could determine the political will for approving new policy. Peterson says the respective agriculture committee’s can approve final language of the bill, but ...
Oct 13, 2024•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Mike Seyfert, President and CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association. Most in the ag industry were relieved that dockworkers were back on the job following an agreement on wages that allowed East Coast and Gulf ports to reopen last week. Seyfert says container shipments are an integral factor in meeting global customers demands for a number of U.S. agricultural products. Prior to his tenure at NGFA, Seyfert had an extensive career on Capitol Hill. He recognize...
Oct 06, 2024•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Representative Mark Alford. The Missouri Republican joins the chorus of other farm state representatives calling for a new farm bill this year. Alford supports the House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill with updated reference prices and improved SNAP benefits. He believes the EPA is overstepping its authority on tail pipe emission standards and regulation of crop pesticides. Alford says conflict in the Black Sea and Middle East could have extreme consequences on th...
Sep 29, 2024•22 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Rob Larew, President of the National Farmers Union. He says the ag economic climate is burdening farmers with high input costs and lower crop commodity prices and some may have difficulty obtaining financing next year. Larew talks about the importance of passing a new farm bill, expanding exports and securing an adequate workforce in county FSA offices.
Sep 22, 2024•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson. Last week hundreds of farmers were in Washington calling on legislators to press forward to approve a new farm bill. Johnson says deadlines drive achievement in Congress and the challenges farmers shared with their elected leaders was more than enough to try and beat the political odds to deliver new risk management tools and nutrition programs. Johnson shares concerns about farmer use of Chinese drone technology. He is cri...
Sep 15, 2024•21 min
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Alex Dunn, President and CEO of CropLife America. Dunn joined CLA in March of this year and brings an extensive career in environmental and regulatory leadership to the association, including her previous service as Assistant Administrator for the EPA office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. Dunn and her team are intently monitoring the EPA’s process of developing strategies for pesticides as they relate to endangered species and trying to educate stak...
Sep 08, 2024•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Ben Alfi, Founder and CEO of Bluewhite. Alfi spent over 25 years in the Israeli Air Force as a combat pilot and as Head of Unmanned Systems Research and Development programs. He leveraged his experience to form the autonomous technology company in 2017. Bluewhite provides add on autonomous capabilities for tractors primarily in the specialty crop space of agriculture production. Alfi says the company’s mission is to build resiliency in farming operations by maximizi...
Sep 01, 2024•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Dave Puglia, President and CEO of Western Growers. Consumers are showing an increased demand for fresh fruits and vegetables in their diets, but U.S. growers of these crops are facing increased headwinds from a reduced water supply, increased input costs, a shortage of farm workers and increasing state and federal regulations. Puglia says their members are looking for biological solutions to replace traditional synthetic crop protection products and robotics to offs...
Aug 25, 2024•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Mark Eisele, President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The Wyoming rancher says even though profits are now better for cattlemen than row crop producers, they still need a new farm bill to ensure herd safety and provide opportunities to maintain and grow global markets. Sustainability is important and Eisele discusses how cattlemen are working to produce safe, high quality protein with an even smaller environmental footprint. He also discusses the lega...
Aug 18, 2024•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. The renewable fuels industry has clawed its way into a significant portion of the liquid fuels industry. Potential growth for both refiners and farmers hinges on regulatory decisions by government agencies and litigation in the court system. Skor says the Treasury Department’s decision on what sustainable agriculture practices will be required for the pending 45Z rule is critical for the industry’s future and if the Biden administra...
Aug 11, 2024•26 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Brent Boydson, Immediate Past Chairman of the U.S. Grains Council. While there are immense headwinds to maintaining and growing markets for U.S.corn, sorghum and barley, Boydson believes emerging markets in Africa and India will provide tremendous growth opportunities for US farmers. He says U.S. efforts to verify sustainable ag practices, as well as the continued reliability and quality of products and increasing demand for more meat and protein, will open new mark...
Aug 04, 2024•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Cathy Burns, President and CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association. From a statistical perspective, the produce industry has tremendous potential for growth with only a small fraction of Americans consuming the daily recommended allowance of fruits and vegetables. Burns says domestically, the produce industry faces tremendous challenges from high input costs, a lack of an adequate labor force and uncertainty over a new farm bill from Washington. She says ...
Jul 28, 2024•24 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Gary Adams, President and CEO of the National Cotton Council. The profit pendulum has swung deeply into the red for U.S. cotton farmers. Adams says many producers faced challenges finding operating loans this year and may be left wanting without a new farm bill that reflects the current economic climate. He also discusses the impact of the Supreme Court's Chevron decision and potential concerns about international trade.
Jul 21, 2024•23 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Corey Rosenbusch, President and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute. Fresh off a meeting of the International Fertilizer Association, Rosenbusch offers troubling news on how Houthi rebels are impacting fertilizer shipping channels and how Vladimir Putin is conspiring to control fertilizer supplies and ultimately global food security. At home, Rosenbusch says TFI members share the call of commodity organizations to Washington to deliver a new farm bill. Rosenbusch hopes ...
Jul 14, 2024•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Donnell Rehagen, CEO of Clean Fuels Alliance America. With an expanded mission of increased renewable fuels types and feedstocks, CFAA hopes to see expanded growth of renewable liquid fuels in the near future. Rehagen sees the industry’s potential beyond the 4.6 billion gallon industry as it stands today with growth in industrial, transportation and sustainable aviation fuel, but feedstock availability and government regulations have proven formidable headwinds for ...
Jul 07, 2024•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Andy Harig, Vice President of Tax, Trade, Sustainability and Policy Development for FMI-The Food Industry Association. Consumers and the food industry have been forced to adapt to the Covid Pandemic as well as higher food costs from inflation. Harig says the market’s philosophy has shifted from a “just in time” to a “just in case” mentality. He says the food industry is adapting to consumers who spend less time preparing meals and are more sensitive to the sustainab...
Jun 30, 2024•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Steve Nicholson, Global Sector Strategist for Grains and Oilseeds with Rabobank. In this interview, Nicholson discusses the mixed signals the Federal Reserve is sifting through as it continues to battle inflation. While there improvements in the economy, Nicholson says higher rates impact capital intensive businesses like transportation and agriculture. He says farmers need clear answers on risk management tools a new farm bill should provide.
Jun 23, 2024•24 min
This weeks Open Mic Guest is Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. The H5N1 virus in dairy cattle has presented yet another challenge for the dairy industry. Doud says extensive testing by FDA confirms the pasteurization process is effective in keeping milk and dairy products safe for consumers. Doud says USDA now believes the disease is being spread between dairy farms by mechanical means. The industry is monitoring existing protocols and closing gaps that may...
Jun 16, 2024•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Dan Halstrom, President and CEO of the US Meat Export Federation. While the USDA is forecasting an even larger agriculture trade deficit this year, meat export sales are an exception to the rule. Halstrom says despite a strong dollar pork exports are up in both volume and value. Despite shorter beef supplies, Halstrom says global demand is still robust. Red meat export sales are providing a positive return on investment in federal promotion dollars but Halstrom says...
Jun 09, 2024•26 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Chandler Goule, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers. He has served in the halls of Congress and for the nation’s crop farmers over his extensive career in Washington. Goule says failure to enact a new farm bill will only heap greater challenges on policy writers in 2025 and leave farmers with a policy that does not accurately reflect the financial risks producers face. Goule says the nation is losing wheat acres and growers to other crops that benefit f...
Jun 02, 2024•25 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Chuck Conner, President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. A veteran of 9 farm bills, Conner's been on the markup side of policy on the Hill and the implementation side at USDA. Conner notes most of the bill’s debate on the House Ag Committee was more about nutrition programs than the farm safety net, but real differences remain between key players and should be worked out as the bill advances. He also discusses actions to address California's P...
May 26, 2024•23 hr 32 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The nation’s rural cooperatives are being pushed to increase base load capacity to meet growing demand from businesses and computer storage facilities. But at the same time, new emission standards by the Environmental Protection Agency threaten the existence of generating plants providing electric service to more than 42 million Americans in 48 states. Matheson says as much as 80% of the power...
May 19, 2024•23 hr 48 min
This week’s Open Mic guest is Kailee Tkacz Buller, President and CEO of the National Oilseed Processors Association. The nation’s oilseed processing industry has rapidly been expanding capacity to meet growing demand for their products. Many new plants have been built, others are under construction and additional processing capacity could be added pending public policy decisions. Buller says renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel hold tremendous opportunities for further oilseed industry...
May 12, 2024•25 min
