Groundwork

A small group of radical environmentalists have declared war on America’s cattle producers and sworn off burgers, all with the dubious claim of fighting climate change. We wanted to dig into the real story behind this beef with beef. So, we called up Dr. Tryon Wickersham, an Associate Professor of Animal Nutrition at Texas A&M University, to give Groundwork listeners the facts about cattle product...

While it can be easy to get caught up in buzzwords or trending policy ideas when it comes to climate change, America’s farmers and ranchers are already doing the hard work to increase resiliency and efficiency. They’re the original conservationists. Rather than build a policy that works on Capitol Hill but not on the farm, Arkansas rice farmer Mark Isbell instead recommends that we look to rural A...

Kevin Brinkley, President and CEO of the Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA), joined Farm Policy Fact’s Groundwork podcast to discuss the importance of infrastructure to efficient global trade. Brinkley also addressed the need for Congress to examine the problems facing agricultural exports at America’s ports.

Collin Peterson, former Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, recently retired from Congress after thirty years of service to America’s farmers and ranchers. His retirement was short-lived. Collin Peterson is utilizing his decades of expertise to once again tackle the challenges facing rural America and joined Groundwork to discuss what's on the horizon for farm policy.

We must not weaken the farm safety net. That was one of the messages esteemed ag economist Dr. Rob Johansson shared on this month’s episode of Groundwork. Dr. Johansson is the Associate Director of Economics and Policy Analysis at the American Sugar Alliance (ASA), a position he recently assumed after previously serving as Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“If I had to describe [Secretary Tom Vilsack] in one word: driven.” That’s how Brandon Willis, former Administrator of the Risk Management Agency and a previous Senior Advisor to Secretary Vilsack, described the Secretary of Agriculture nominee to Groundwork listeners on our most recent episode. Willis joined the podcast to share some insights about his time working with Secretary Vilsack, as well...

During this season of gratitude, we are giving thanks to America’s farmers and ranchers. Not only do America’s strong federal farm policies ensure that we all have reliable access to affordable food, they also share our generous bounty with our neighbors. Nicole Berg, a fourth-generation farmer from Washington State and Vice President of the National Association of Wheat Growers, joined Groundwork...

An August storm in Iowa flattened millions of acres of corn with more than 100 mile-per-hour winds, wildfires in the West continue to do untold damage to fruit and vegetable crops, and hurricane season in the Atlantic has already generated a historic number of storms. Farmers are sure to face even more challenges as extreme storms and other destructive weather events threaten to upend harvest. Gro...

During the COVID-19 crisis, it has been more important than ever that we come together to support one another. America’s sugar farmers are doing their part, keeping sugar moving from farm to table while also helping sustain rural communities and support workers during this tough time. On this episode of Groundwork, Farm Policy Facts talked to two guests from the sugar industry about how they’ve ad...

This episode of Groundwork airs just in time for the 4th of July holiday and features recordings of presidents discussing how American farm policy has kept our nation strong. Jeff Harrison, our farm policy expert this episode, notes that American farm policy traces its roots all the way back to President George Washington and the first Congress.

America’s farmers and ranchers will likely need more assistance from the federal government to recover from the downturn in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture. Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas is the former chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and has been in close contact with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue throughout the gov...

With all of the information out there on Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, we called up Dr. Joe Outlaw, a renowned agricultural economist at Texas A&M and Co-Director of Texas A&M’s Agricultural & Food Policy Center, for his take on all things farm policy.

This month, Groundwork spoke to Dr. John Newton, Chief Economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation, and one of the foremost experts on farm economics to discuss rural America’s hopes for a prosperous new year.

Groundwork spoke with Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), to talk about Thanksgiving dinner. More specifically, to discuss NFU’s annual study examining the farmer’s share of the Thanksgiving food dollar.

Just last week, the Federal Reserve reported in their October “Beige Book” the dismal news that agricultural conditions have “deteriorated further due to the ongoing impacts of adverse weather, weak commodity prices, and trade disruptions.” Brian Thalmann, farmer and chairman of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, recently spoke with Groundwork about these persistent challenges and others faci...

America’s farmers have found themselves on the front lines of an ongoing trade war, but recent news on three major trade fronts has farmers across the heartland cautiously optimistic. Trade attorney John Gilliland joins Groundwork to discuss what this means for agriculture and the status of several other ongoing trade negotiations. Listen to this episode to learn more about how American agricultur...

To take a deeper dive into the issue of foreign farm subsidies, #Groundwork reached out to one of the foremost experts in the field, Dr. Darren Hudson. Hudson is the Director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University, where they maintain a database of international subsidies and examine how they affect the competitiveness of American farmers on the globa...

Historic rains this spring brought devastation to farming communities across the Midwest. As floodwaters rose, farmers had just hours to evacuate their families. Equipment was destroyed, grain was ruined and livestock was lost. We caught up with Ruth Gerdes, President of Auburn Agency Crop Insurance, in late June while she was on Capitol Hill to testify before the House Agriculture Committee about...

Steve Hoffman joined Farm Policy Facts from his dairy farm in New Ulm, Minnesota to share with Groundwork listeners how momentum is building both across the heartland and within the halls of Congress to move immediately on the ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Hear from farmers John Snyder and Travis Medine on the first installment of Groundwork. This monthly podcast will focus on a range of policy issues that are important to American farmers in upcoming episodes.