Agri-Pulse Open Mic Interview

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western Growers. After nearly 20-years of service to farmers in New Mexico, Colorado, California and Arizona, Nassif is retiring in February 2020. In this interview, Nassif speaks to the need for meaningful immigration reform and the hope that Congress will address the issue yet this year. The Western Growers have made great strides...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Congressman Rodney Davis. The fourth term Republican reports tariffs and renewable fuel are the top two concerns among his constituents in the thirteenth district. Davis supports President Trump’s efforts to open markets and level the playing field for U.S. farmers and ranchers, but hopes for a quick conclusion in the trade war. Davis is outspoken in his call to br...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Kevin Ross, president of the National Corn Growers Association. In a season of challenges from weather, global market access, and low prices, Ross says there is a certain anxiety being felt by corn farmers nationwide. Ross says NCGA is encouraged by the Trump administration’s commitment to a new set of rules to administer the Renewable Fuels Standard that guarantee...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Nathan Kauffman, vice president and Omaha branch executive with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. While the farm economy continues to struggle in a multi-year downturn, the overall balance sheet remains strong. Land values remain high and interest rates are low, which has allowed farmers options to restructure debt. Kauffman says Market Facilitation Program...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee Mike Conaway. The Texas 11th District Representative says the nation’s farmers and ranchers are enduring a long run of tight financial conditions. He says the 2018 farm bill offers the best policy Washington could afford to help producers weather difficult times and fully supports the Trump Administration’s use...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is the President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. While dairy policy improvements in the 2018 farm bill have helped the financial plight of many milk producers, Vilsack says it’s the global trade front that presents the best opportunity for improvement to the bottom line. Vilsack hopes for a positive conclusion to a t...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Missouri 5th district Representative Emanuel Cleaver. As a former Mayor of Kansas City and now serving his 7th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Cleaver is well versed in the rural and agriculture needs in his district. As a Democratic leader, Cleaver supports the need for the USMCA trade agreement but agrees with Speaker Pelosi that labor assurances must...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Glen Smith, Board Chair and CEO of the Farm Credit Administration. The watchful eye of the Farm Credit Administration closely monitors the balance sheet of the Farm Credit System and its service to the nation’s farms and ranches. Iowa farmer turned FCA CEO, Smith says stable land values have provided equity farmers needed to restructure debt and maintain working ca...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Illinois 17th District Representative Cheri Bustos. With strong family ties to agriculture, the Illinois Democrat serves as a member of both the House Agriculture and Appropriations Committees. In this interview, Bustos shares concerns about the trade war with China and its “generational effects” on farmers in her district and across the country. Bustos says the Tr...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Representative Collin Peterson, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture. The Minnesota Democrat believes agriculture is headed for some “serious tough sledding” and is concerned about whether the 2018 farm safety net will be adequate to protect the industry. He worries that market facilitation payments may undermine future needs for additional price supports...

This weeks’ guest on Open Mic is Bill Even, CEO of the National Pork Board. As a fifth-generation farmer and former South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture, Even is well-versed in the obstacles and opportunities of the nation’s top industry. Despite a setback from a nationwide pig virus a few years ago, Even says hog farmers and the swine industry have ramped up production and capacity to supply the...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas. The 5th generation farmer is fully aware of the difficult economic plight of the nation's agriculture producers. In this interview, he discusses the challenges of unfair trade and the need to support efforts from the White House to level the global trading platform. Lucas discusses the upcoming budget debate and the need for additi...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Lisa Safarian, Commercial Operations head for Crop Science, Bayer North America. In the midst of integrating two global agriculture businesses, Bayer is facing headwinds from litigation of existing products like Roundup, as well as one of the most challenging growing seasons in recent U.S. history. In this interview, Safarian talks about the company goal of providi...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Matthew Lohr, Chief of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The discussion over agriculture sustainability is leading to a renewed interest and support for NRCS and many programs farmers and ranchers utilize to preserve natural resources. The Virginia poultry farmer comments on the relationship between EPA and USDA and speaks to the future of voluntar...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Syngenta CEO Erik Fyrwald. With a global goal of sustainable productivity, Syngenta continues to invest in innovation for global agriculture. In this interview, Fyrwald addresses the need for advances in technology to produce more food while protecting the environment and the need for litigation reform. Fyrwald says modern, sustainable agriculture needs a brand to...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is David Perry, CEO of Indigo Ag. CNBC put Indigo at the top of their “2019 Disruptor List”. Perry’s company has a global presence and has raised $650 million dollars in their effort to grow farm productivity and reduce carbon emissions through patented innovation in microbial science. Raised on a crop farm in Arkansas, Perry believes his company’s production paradigm...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Georgia 2nd District Representative Sanford Bishop. As Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Subcommittee chair, Bishop is pleased with the full committee’s work on the FY20 spending bills. Bishop admits the lack of progress in the Senate could delay timely approval of funds for the coming fiscal year and says it is highly likely that legislators wi...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Iowa U.S. Senator Joni Ernst. She has seen firsthand the devastating impact of severe flooding in her region and shares concern with other farmers about the wet season that has forced late planting across the Midwest. In this interview, Ernst discusses the need for additional disaster assistance, reform of farm bankruptcy rules, and funding of a second round of MFP...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Dr. John Newton, Chief Economist of the American Farm Bureau Federation. In this interview, Newton offers insight on how weather, trade conflicts, and surplus commodities have wreaked havoc on the nation’s farm and ranch community. Newton says farmers need details of the disaster assistance and market facilitation programs as well as amendments to bankruptcy laws....

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. Farmers and the renewable fuels industry were pleased to see the Trump administration fulfill its promise to amend regulation and allow for year-round sales of E-15 blended fuels. In this interview, Skor comments on EPA's small refinery waivers, desire for reallocation and pending legislation for Congressional oversight. Skor is anxiou...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is U.S. Senator John Boozman. In this interview, the Arkansas Republican discusses the need for policy to address climate change that includes a favorable role for agriculture, the goals for infrastructure and rural development, trade and the upcoming debate on child nutrition.

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin. The senior senator from Illinois returned to the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee for the 116th Congress. Durbin is pleased with the bipartisan effort on the farm bill, but fears the downturn in the ag economy may be more than the legislation’s safety net can bear. Senator Durbin shares his view of small refiner...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. While political rhetoric and bantering over trade have dominated news headlines recently, there is much work to be done in Washington on Capitol Hill. McConnell acknowledges the differences of opinion on a number of key issues in Washington, but believes the two sides can compromise this week to finally approve disaster...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Senator Blanche Lincoln, Founder of the Lincoln Policy Group in Washington. After a 16 year career representing constituents in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Lincoln is lending her voice to the Farmers for Free Trade Coalition in support of the USMCA trade deal and concern over the country’s protectionist attitude with global trading partners. Linco...

This week’s guest on Open Mic is House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson. Just back from leading a bipartisan delegation of Congressional leaders to Central and South America, the Minnesota 7th District Representative reports his observations of crop production, foreign investment and meetings with new elected leaders. Here at home, Peterson shares his frustration with approving disas...