Podcast appearances and mentions of ag policy

In this episode of Farm4Profit, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig returns to the studio for a conversation that covers nearly every major issue impacting producers today. Mike begins by sharing how he balances his role as Secretary of Agriculture with remaining involved in his family's fourth-generation northwest Iowa farm. He discusses growing up around corn, soybeans, and hogs, how the family operation has evolved, and why having one foot in production agriculture continues to shape the way he approaches his job. The conversation quickly turns to one of agriculture's biggest uncontrollable variables: weather. Iowa farmers have dealt with derechos, excessive rainfall, flooding, drought, and increasingly severe weather events. Mike explains why risk management, infrastructure, crop resilience, and better monitoring tools are becoming even more important as producers try to manage events they simply cannot control. The crew also talks openly about the mental and financial pressure farmers are feeling. Tight margins, extreme weather, policy uncertainty, and growing public criticism of agriculture are all piling up at the same time. Mike says he has noticed increasing frustration among producers who feel they are being blamed for problems while already operating under significant financial stress. Water quality becomes a major part of the discussion. Mike breaks down Iowa's nutrient reduction efforts, progress on phosphorus, ongoing nitrate challenges, and the state's new “Farm to Faucet” approach. That effort includes increased nitrate treatment capacity, expanded water monitoring, conservation funding, cover crop incentives, streamside buffers, and more than $50 million targeted toward conservation practices in the Greater Des Moines Watershed over the next 12 years. The group also tackles one of Iowa's most controversial conversations: whether agriculture is being unfairly blamed for cancer rates in the state. Mike stresses that the issue is complex and should be driven by research rather than politics. He points to known risk factors including radon, smoking, alcohol use, obesity, and sun exposure while also supporting continued research into environmental and genetic factors. From there, the episode moves into biofuels and new revenue opportunities. Mike discusses Iowa's growing use of E15, the economic benefits ethanol provides consumers, the potential of 45Z, and why future clean-fuel programs could create additional revenue streams for farmers if measurement and reporting requirements can be made practical. One of the biggest opportunities Mike sees for Iowa is cattle. With the U.S. cow herd at historically low levels, Mike believes Iowa has room to grow beef production—especially by identifying row crop acres that are underperforming because of slope, erosion, wetness, or poor soil productivity and converting those acres into pasture or forage. He explains how the state's cattle and conservation programs are already helping connect landowners with livestock producers while supporting fencing, water access, pasture establishment, and even virtual fencing. That conversation naturally leads into the next generation of agriculture. Mike and the Farm4Profit crew discuss how livestock can create a realistic entry point for young producers who may have labor and ambition but lack capital. They explore ideas around financing, conservation incentives, access to land, custom farming, direct-to-consumer agriculture, specialty crops, and off-farm income as ways to create more opportunities for young people to build a future in agriculture. Mike also shares his view that profitability has to remain at the center of every agricultural conversation. Conservation, technology, diversification, and policy only work if the farm itself can remain financially viable. He discusses input costs, market development, trade, Farm Bill uncertainty, E15, and the many pieces that have to come together for producers to succeed. The episode also looks ahead to Iowa's changing political landscape, Mike's 2026 reelection campaign, the role of the Secretary of Agriculture, animal disease preparedness, food safety, pesticide regulation, and why Iowa agriculture remains one of the state's greatest economic strengths. The conversation ends with a question Farm4Profit hears everywhere: How does a young person get into farming? Mike's answer is simple—there is no golden ticket. But there are more paths than ever. Livestock, direct-to-consumer sales, custom application, drones, seed sales, specialty crops, custom farming, and other farm-adjacent businesses can all provide a foothold. His message: farming has never been easy to enter, but agriculture should work to make sure it doesn't become unnecessarily harder. This episode is a wide-ranging look at where Iowa agriculture stands today—and what farmers, policymakers, and rural communities need to think about next. Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don't forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.comCall/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/Farm4Profit Media is not a financial, legal, or tax advisor. Content is provided for informational purposes only, and we serve solely as a platform for third-party opinions. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own risk. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matthew Gammans NDSU Ast. Ag Policy Professor

Toady from SDPB — Former Democratic Senate candidate Julian Beaudion offers insight as to why he dropped out of the race, Rep. Dusty Johnson discusses the impact of Washington D.C. policy on agriculture and the Sturgis Rally arrives as the region faces a blood donation shortage.

There are several organizations that advocate for policy to support American farmers, but not all farmers have the same priorities.

After years of federal scrutiny surrounding the platform, the Department of Agriculture is now sharing videos with the public.

The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), in partnership with RealAgriculture, this week hosted an Ag Policy Exchange webinar analyzing the directional impact of the Halifax Statement coming out of the federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) agricultural ministers' meeting. The session features an interview between Kelvin Heppner and federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald. Minister MacDonald emphasizes... Read More

Thanks for tuning in to this Friday edition of RealAg Radio! Host Shaun Haney is joined by Kelvin Heppner, Tyler McCann and Lyndsey Smith for the RealAg Issues Panel, but first you'll hear from Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Heath MacDonald, to discuss the Halifax Statement and the direction for the next five-year Ag Policy... Read More

Thanks for tuning in to this Friday edition of RealAg Radio! Host Shaun Haney is joined by Kelvin Heppner, Tyler McCann and Lyndsey Smith for the RealAg Issues Panel, but first you'll hear from Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Heath MacDonald, to discuss the Halifax Statement and the direction for the next five-year Ag Policy... Read More

The federal agriculture minister says he sees momentum for changes in Canada's next five-year agricultural policy framework that reflect how much the world has changed since the current framework was negotiated. Heath MacDonald is pushing back against stakeholder skepticism that the newly signed Halifax Statement charts a path toward the status quo, failing to adequately... Read More

Welcome to the Farmer Rapid Fire, brought to you by Pioneer Seeds Canada! Today on the show, host Shaun Haney is broadcasting from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Shaun Haney and today's co-host Lyndsey Smith are joined by Ethan Wallace of Seaforth, Ontario; Cedric MacLeod of Centreville, New Brunswick; Bill Prybylski of Yorkton, Saskatchewan; Tyler Fulton of... Read More

Welcome to the Farmer Rapid Fire, brought to you by Pioneer Seeds Canada! Today on the show, host Shaun Haney is broadcasting from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Shaun Haney and today's co-host Lyndsey Smith are joined by Ethan Wallace of Seaforth, Ontario; Cedric MacLeod of Centreville, New Brunswick; Bill Prybylski of Yorkton, Saskatchewan; Tyler Fulton of... Read More

Welcome to RealAg Radio with your host, Shaun Haney! On today's show, Haney is joined by Dr. Edward Bork of the University of Alberta to discuss virtual fencing on Western Canadian ranches, Tim Gardner of Bayer for a spotlight interview, and Blaine Woycheshin of BASF to look back on 30 years of InVigor canola. Coming... Read More

Welcome to RealAg Radio with your host, Shaun Haney! On today's show, Haney is joined by Dr. Edward Bork of the University of Alberta to discuss virtual fencing on Western Canadian ranches, Tim Gardner of Bayer for a spotlight interview, and Blaine Woycheshin of BASF to look back on 30 years of InVigor canola. Coming... Read More

Canadian agriculture's policy framework needs to shift from reacting to crises toward proactively building resilience if the sector is to remain competitive in an increasingly volatile operating environment. That's the "Big Idea" for this episode of the Ag Policy Connection podcast, hosted by Tyler McCann, managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), and... Read More

Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy Executive Director Brandon Reed joins Community Conversation to discuss the agency's 25-year impact on agriculture across the Commonwealth. Reed explains how tobacco settlement funds have helped diversify Kentucky farming, highlights the Beginning Farmer Loan Program, and shares how the Office of Ag Policy continues to support agricultural growth and rural communities statewide.

As Canada navigates trade disruptions, geopolitical uncertainty, and growing concerns about food security, agriculture is increasingly being viewed as a strategic national asset. That shift in thinking is creating new conversations about how policy tools—including tax incentives—can help drive investment, innovation, and long-term growth across the sector. In this episode of the Ag Policy Connection... Read More

We are just days away from celebrating the 250th anniversary of America's Independence Day, prompting many to look back to the earliest days of our country for lessons in how to weather challenging and uncertain times. DTN's Farm Business Editor Chris Clayton even took a trip down to Mount Vernon, the historical farm of America's first President, George Washington, to bring us a vision of how farmers' past survived, and thrived, through war, anemic markets, and trying political conditions. While Chris will share about his recent visit to America's founding farm, he also brings us a raft of updates on key ag policy issues from the nation's capital. First, we'll talk about President Trump's recent visit to speak with Wisconsin Farmers, about what the White House is saying about possible additional farm aid and pending discussions of the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, or USMCA. We'll also talk about the unfolding New World Screwworm story, and how USDA is responding, especially as the department also continues to undergo a large-scale reorganization. Finally, we'll get into the price of beef, long lasting fertilizer impacts from the Iran conflict, and what all this might mean for the midterm elections in November.

How do we define and measure soil health across Canada's diverse agricultural regions? That's the topic of this latest Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) and RealAgriculture webinar examining the findings of a new CSA Group report on soil health measurement and reporting. The discussion explores why standardization matters, where current gaps exist, and how consistent... Read More

In a letter recently sent to the US Senate, the National Farmers Union highlights significant challenges in the farm economy, such as high input costs, low commodity prices, market volatility, trade uncertainties, and rising farm exits and bankruptcies.

Each year the Illinois Corn Marketing Board utilizes check-off funding to host several communications interns that are pursuing careers in agriculture. In this Managing for Profit, Lydia Rogers, former IL Corn intern, discusses her experience in the organization and why it's an important step in building the industry. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Interview Transcript Kate - Welcome to the Leading Voices in Food podcast. I'm Kate Stanley, a researcher at the World Food Policy Center at Duke University. I'm joined today by my co-host, Katariina Koivusaari, a researcher at North Carolina State University. Together, we collaborate on policy research for the Bezos Center for Sustainable Proteins at NC State. Katariina - Great to have you. Greg, you have been involved in food and agriculture policy in Washington, D.C. for several decades and have worked with both Democratic and Republican administrations. Are food policy politics caught up in party differences depending on which political party is running the executive branch? A very relevant question right now. I guess it would be wrong to say that the political party in office doesn't make a big difference in the policies being carried out by the executive branch. However, in the food and agricultural space, and especially in the areas that I focus on, which is really around these new technologies in food and Ag and how do those get into the marketplace and adopted, that difference hasn't been so big. Let me give you an example or two. I'll take you back first to about 2000, and we had the Clinton administration. We have the regulation at FDA of biotech crops, and they had a voluntary consultation process and there were a number of stakeholders and others who felt that that wasn't sufficient. The Clinton administration interpreted the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to try to turn that into what they called a mandatory consultation, and they proposed a pre-market notification rule. It didn't get finished in, before the end of the administration in January of 2001. Then we had the Bush administration come in, so we went from a Democrat to a Republican. And the Bush administration looked at the same law and looked at that same proposed regulation and said, "We don't have the legal authority to do that." And they withdrew that proposal, and so we still have to this day this voluntary consultation. And I give you that example for two reasons. One, I think what we've seen when it comes to food and policy regulation by different administrations is how they interpret the law. And I can say this in very general, the Democrats have tended to be a little more expansive in how they interpreted the law to try to find more legal authority to do things that they might want to do. And the Republicans have tended to look at that language much more restrictively or look at just exactly what that language said and not try to interpret anything into it. And so, you see that difference here between what happened in the Clinton administration versus what happened in the Bush administration. I mention this example because as many of your listeners may know, right now in this administration, we have the question about voluntary GRAS and whether that's going to become mandatory or not. And some of us who have followed that know that the current FDA has submitted to OMB, to the White House, a proposed rule to make GRAS mandatory. Well, that is-- the regulatory process for those biotech crops is also a GRAS process. It's interesting now that we have a Republican administration who's finding the authority to do that, and we'll see what actually comes out and what the courts do with it. But I think this shows that sort of difference in policies between Democrats and Republicans. But overall, we haven't seen a lot of difference. In this new administration, I think one of the questions people had was what would happen with a technology like cell-cultivated meat? Where would the regulation of it go forward? There's many in the MAHA movement, I think, that felt that that wasn't consistent with what they wanted. But we've seen that those approvals continue to happen. Similarly, pesticides have been an issue in many administrations. Sometimes Democrats have argued to be much more restrictive in the use of pesticides and to make the regulations much harder. And Republicans have oftentimes said to make those easier for the agencies. But what we see is pesticides have moved forward under both administrations. People understand the need for pesticides to produce agriculture. We have some differences in policy, but on the whole, in this area, I think, whether it's Democratic or Republican, they have generally supported following the law. Kate - Greg, you shared some interesting examples of across administrations how we've seen different actions be taken. And I'm curious. Under this administration, for some of these areas you work in, like these novel technologies, what do you see as driving the new federal legislative actions in food policy? The legislative area has generally always been more partisan than the executive branch to some extent. I mean, the executive branch is interpreting laws from Congress; the Congress is setting those. But I think again, in the area of food policy, we've seen many good laws come out that have been bipartisan. And when I look at how did those laws come to be, I sort of see a couple different scenarios. One, and I don't think this is unique to food policy or ag policy, we tend to see legislation when some crisis has occurred. The example I would give in the food space was the establishment of the Food Safety Modernization Act more than a dozen years ago. And to a large extent, that was reaction to a number of outbreaks: spinach outbreaks, peanut butter outbreaks, egg outbreaks. And people getting sick, and some people even dying from those outbreaks. And so that brought a bipartisan coalition together to say, "We need to give more authority to FDA to address our food supply and ensure it's as safe as it could be." So that's one way we've seen that. A second way we see policy change is when a policy is old or that is no longer in favor. And the example I give there is most recently, in this Congress passed the whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, and that is a definite change in policy from the Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. This changes what milks, whether they're flavored, and how much fat they can have and be in the school programs. And I think in both cases, those bills were relatively partisan at the time, and yet they do opposite things. So that would be another reason that we see changes in laws. But the third way, and I wanted to focus a little more on this, is one way the federal government gets involved and Congress gets involved is when states start regulating an area, and we start getting different standards. And then there's a push at the national level to have some sort of uniformity, some sort of have national standard for markets to work properly, for efficiency's sake and so forth. And I can give several different examples. We can go all the way back to the National Organic Law that was passed back in 1990. You had a number of states who had defined organic; they had different organic labels. Congress came together and said, "Hey, let's set up a national organic standard." We had the same thing happen with the National Bioengineered Disclosure Law, that I think happened around 2017 or 2016. In which case you had a number of states proposing legislation. You had Vermont that had passed legislation requiring mandatory labeling of genetically engineered ingredients. And in fact, the law that was passed by Congress was passed, I think, within a week or two of when the Vermont law was about to go into effect. And people felt it was better to come together and have a national standard than have different states doing different things. Because the reality is, consumers and manufacturers don't just purchase things in one state or produce things for one state. They produce it for the nation. We're a nationwide market. And then we see even those kinds of things happening today, and I go back to the pesticide area as another example. We've had different states having pesticide laws or regulations that have been different than the federal situation. We have a Supreme Court case now that the Supreme Court is going to hear in April of this year about whether that's those state regulations are preempted by the federal law. But Congress and the Farm Bill has also put in language that would ensure that the federal standard is the standard that is applied, not having multiple different state standards. So that's been a way that we've seen a lot of things happen in this food and Ag space. Kate - We've seen a lot of food policy action at the state level in the past few years. Katariina and I were on this podcast not long ago talking about state legislation aiming to restrict how cell-cultivated meat products are labeled or even banning those products altogether. We've seen action in a variety of other areas as well. Are there issues that states have started regulating where you think we could see federal action in the near future? I do. I think that the MAHA movement in particular has really set up a situation where we see states taking the lead on a number of issues, and we'll see whether the federal government decides to come in, and particularly Congress, to address those at a national level. For example, in the area of synthetic dyes and food additives, I think there's some 30 states that have introduced bills. And a number of which have passed, either restricting those use at all in any foods, restricting their use in school lunches, having different labeling associated with many of those ingredients. And we've seen some of those laws pass, and we've already seen some court cases. A court case in West Virginia which said that those laws are preempted by federal law. One could envision either something at FDA or in Congress that would set some uniform standard for how this moves forward federally. You mentioned cell-cultivated meat and the three of us were involved in a paper that looked at the state regulation in that area, especially around labeling. And again, if we don't have a lot of those products on the market yet, but as those products get closer and get on the market, I could definitely see a push again to have some uniform labeling. Either again from the federal executive branch or from the legislative branch. And also, in areas like ultra-processed foods is another one. California has passed a law defining how they're going to define ultra-processed foods. We've heard that FDA may issue a definition about ultra-processed foods, but I could also see Congress getting involved eventually and setting a standard. Katariina - I'm sure that in working with US regulatory agencies for so long, you've seen trends develop and persist over time. What would you highlight right now for our listeners? Well, as I said, I've worked very much in this space where we talk about new science, new technology, new kinds of products coming into the marketplace and how do we regulate that? What are the policies and regulations to ensure that that's safe for humans and safe for the environment, and that there's information and access that's necessary for those safe products to, to thrive in the marketplace. And when you look at that, I think I have some observations, I guess, about the US regulatory agencies and what they've done in this area. The first one is that the science tends to move faster in the private sector and in the research community, like you're both in, than it does in the federal government. And so generally, the people in the federal government, who I have the utmost respect for, the career people, tend to always be playing catch up on the science. That the science is moving faster and they're not there. An example I would give is cloned animals. When the industry went to FDA and said, "Hey, can we put these cloned animals into the m- into the marketplace?" FDA sort of said, "Well, wait. We need to look and see whether we need to do a risk assessment to see if there's any risks out there." And they spent a couple years doing that, and they asked for a voluntary moratorium while they were figuring that out. In the end, they figured out that for many cloned animals, there was no risk and there didn't need to be regulation, but they had to catch up. They had to catch up on the science. And I think that's the first thing. It's important for industry and public sector scientists like yourselves to make as much information about new technologies and new products available in the public realm so that those experts in the federal government can stay as close as possible to what is happening. Second is, anytime you have a first-of-a-kind product. You talked about cell-cultured meat, Kate, a little while ago. We can talk about biotech crops. We can talk about a number of genetically engineered salmon. We can talk about a number of different new products of methane-reducing feed additives. The first-of-its-kind is always going to take a little longer to figure out what is that regulatory pathway. It's great to be the first into the marketplace. You get a lot of advantages, but I guess one of the disadvantages is that you probably have a little slower regulatory timeframe. That again bodes for that transparency for that additional information. The third thing I'd mention, and you would think, oh, this is something that is sort of a given and expected, and that is the level of transparency that we have in our federal government. But that's not true. I've traveled around the world, and many governments don't have that. But interestingly, most of our regulations are, you know, they're all publicly available. There's lots of guidance documents out there. We can go online today and see GRAS applications and decisions made at FDA. We can see what information was submitted for cell-cultivated meat crop, meat, meat products, and what decision the agency made on those. We can do that for genetically engineered animals and for genetically engineered plants. And so, we do have a fair amount of transparency, and I impress upon people to use that to their advantage. I think that builds trust for consumers, but also for people in the industry. It helps them learn so they can be as efficient as possible when they go through the regulatory process. And the final thing I might mention is it may look like from the outside the government moves slow all the time. But I think having been inside the government and in the role, I played as the Chief Regulatory Officer at USDA, that slowness, in part, is to make sure that the government speaks as a single voice. We've been talking a lot about FDA, and we talk about USDA, but there are actually some 18 or 20 different agencies that actually regulate different parts of the food supply, for example. A decision made in one agency may have some indirect impact on a decision or a regulatory process in another agency. And so, it's important before major decisions are made or major regulations are promulgated, that we have an interagency review of those things to make sure that the government is speaking consistently with one voice about how they interpret laws; about how they apply risk assessments; about how they look at safety and so forth within the context of their laws. And that sometimes takes some time. It is a big bureaucracy, a big government, and again, that could be looked at upon negatively. But at the same time you can look at upon that positively as an opportunity to make sure that the decisions that are made in one place are consistent with other decisions and other statutes in another place. Katariina - Thank you for sharing that. It's really helpful to get more insight into the policy process. Let me ask you one final question. For organizations seeking to navigate through state and federal regulations in order to bring a food product to market, what are the key, what are key takeaways you would highlight? Well, there are a number of them. First, I would tell companies or public researchers, whoever is bringing a product to market, to be as transparent as possible. Put as much information about your product and your technology in the public record, especially if it's in peer-reviewed journals that are accessible to everybody. That is only going to come to your benefit. That's going to help the regulators. They know that information is out there. They know that other people have that information. They can utilize that to help make decisions about whether there is a food safety or a risk to the environment, and then how maybe to address those risks. So that would be my first response. The second one is, and I think, again, this is something that I thought was going to be universal when it came to interactions between the regulated community and the regulators, but it's not around the world, and that is to consult. All the agencies that I've worked for have open door policies where they say, if you have a question, as you're thinking of bringing a product to market, come in and consult with us. Come in and talk to us. Let us help you figure out what the regulatory pathway is going to be, what the data you are going to need is, why we need that data, and go through all of that. And, in my consulting business, that's one of the things I do. I help facilitate those conversations between one of the agencies and a client. And I think that just the earlier you do that and the more often you do that, the more efficient you will be, the less money you will spend, the quicker your review process will be. And while I have clients who don't always agree with the decisions by the agencies of what information they might need or what regulatory process they have, it's still better to know that upfront and earlier in the process than later in the process. The third thing I'd mention is to be a little creative. The regulators, you know, they're trying to ensure they're representing the public, and they're trying to make sure that a product is safe for human consumption, for animal consumption, for the environment. They don't always have all the answers, and sometimes they are fitting square pegs into round holes because new technologies come along that aren't exactly a perfect fit. But be creative. Try to help them. I think, you know, sometimes working with people like me or others to help think about what a good regulatory pathway would be, what are the potential risks that really need to be addressed here that can be really helpful. The fourth thing is, you know, that the devil is always in the details. The details and the science matter, and that is something that is very important. And so, we want to look for analogies of your product or your technology to other ones that have happened in the past, and that's always good. But also understand the differences. And so, really, I think, sometimes people think, "Oh, they don't need to engage with the regulators as much about exactly what I'm doing," or "They don't need to know all those details." Those details actually do matter, and I do think those are important. And then I would finally say that, you know, it does take time, especially when we're talking about new technologies and new products, to figure out what that regulatory process will be. And we don't have neat situations. Our laws are written a long time ago. We don't want to write a new law for every new kind of product or every new kind of technology. I'm not sure that's the most efficient way to do it. But by not doing that, we're sometimes, as I mentioned earlier, fitting square pegs into round holes. We have a law, for example, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, dealt with food, but it never envisioned genetically engineered crops. It doesn't talk about biotechnology. We have a meat law that regulates meat at USDA. Didn't think about cell-cultivated meat. And we have to think about how those fit together. And sometimes we can do that without the new laws, and sometimes you need new laws. When I was at USDA, we worked on methane-reducing feed additives. FDA regulates them, but they really don't fit very well. They're not a drug, but they're also not a feed because they don't have a nutritional benefit. And so how do we fit those into the regulatory system? FDA's come up with a temporary regulatory pathway, but there's also a bill in Congress to set up a more definitive regulatory pathway. And we see that for some of these new technologies that we might see some legislation. And then the final point I would just make is to temper everybody's view that a compromise is essential in this area. No one company or no one stakeholder gets everything they want. Governing and the government's job is to, you know, figure out what's the appropriate balance. They want to ensure safety, but they also want to make sure that safe products can get to market and that consumers can get to take advantage of those products, and we can get the benefits from those products. And so all of this is always a balancing. There will always have to be some sort of compromise. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing, just pointing it out as something that people should be conscious of. BIO   Gregory Jaffe is President of Jaffe Policy Consulting, which provides strategic advice on national and international policies involving agriculture and food, with specific expertise in sustainability, climate, bioeconomy, biotechnology, PFAS, pesticides, food safety, and food loss and waste. He recently worked as the Senior Advisor for Regulatory Affairs in USDA's Office of the Secretary and the USDA's Chief Regulatory Officer. He managed a broad portfolio of policy issues, including bioeconomy, biotechnology, biofuels, pesticides, PFAS, food safety, sustainability, and scientific research and development. Before joining USDA, Greg worked for at the Center for Science in Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit consumer organization working on food and nutrition issues. While at CSPI worked extensively in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia on projects funded by USAID and the Gates Foundation. He worked with government officials and stakeholders helping them develop laws, policies and regulations that allow for the adoption of agricultural technologies, including biotechnology. He advised on agricultural policy, sustainability, and trade issues, conducted capacity building, and worked on international treaty implementation.

As Canadian agriculture becomes increasingly digital, cybersecurity is emerging as a critical business risk that extends far beyond computers and software. From automated livestock systems to cloud-based farm records and precision agriculture tools, a cyber attack can disrupt operations, impact animal welfare, and threaten business continuity. In this episode of the Ag Policy Connection podcast,... Read More

Canada’s biofuels sector is at a pivotal moment as industry leaders warn that delays and uncertainty around Clean Fuel Regulations (CFR) amendments could stall investment and shift production opportunities south of the border. In this Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) webinar presented in partnership with RealAgriculture and BASF Agricultural Solutions, panellists from across the fuel,... Read More

In today's podcast Paul has a conversation with Reece Langley of Langley Consulting LLC. Reece has been actively involved in the farm bill process and served many years on the Rice and Cotton organizations before starting his own consulting business a few years ago specializing in Ag Policy. Reece is currently involved in trying to get manufacturers a tax incentive to buy domestic production.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to RealAg Radio with your host, Shaun Haney! Today on the show, Haney is joined by Scott Ross of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture on the next ag policy framework and the importance of modernizing business risk management. Jordan Henderson of Bourgault also joins Haney for a spotlight interview and discussion on the future... Read More

Welcome to RealAg Radio with your host, Shaun Haney! Today on the show, Haney is joined by Scott Ross of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture on the next ag policy framework and the importance of modernizing business risk management. Jordan Henderson of Bourgault also joins Haney for a spotlight interview and discussion on the future... Read More

Competing in global commodity markets is a race Canada can’t win long-term, says Ted Bilyea, former executive vice-president of Maple Leaf Foods and distinguished fellow with the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI). In this episode of Ag Policy Connection, Bilyea says that Canada’s advantage lies in differentiation — creating food products consumers specifically want and... Read More

In this episode of the Farm4Profit Podcast, Corey sits down with Zach Smith (The Stock Cropper), James Epp, and Matt Boerman — better known as The Loeb Rangers — for a candid and in-depth conversation about the future of agriculture, conservation practices, and what farmers can do to improve profitability while protecting soil and water resources. The group shares how The Loeb Rangers started as a simple Snapchat conversation between frustrated farmers who wanted to discuss poor farming practices, erosion, nitrogen management, and conservation solutions happening across Iowa's Des Moines Loeb region. What began as a private peer group quickly evolved into a growing movement focused on honest conversations around agriculture, sustainability, and practical solutions that work at scale. The discussion covers: Strip-till and no-till systems Cover crop adoption and management Nitrogen timing and in-season application Water quality and nitrate concerns Soil erosion and long-term land stewardship Farm profitability through reduced input costs The economics behind regenerative agriculture Challenges with ag policy and regulation Spray drift and pesticide stewardship The role of leadership within agriculture How farmers can proactively avoid future regulation Why knowing your numbers matters more than ever The Loeb Rangers explain how they've implemented conservation systems on their own operations while still maintaining profitability and efficiency. They also discuss the realities of public perception, working with Des Moines Water Works, and why communication between farmers, consumers, and policymakers is critical moving forward. This episode is a raw, honest, and thought-provoking discussion about balancing production agriculture with long-term sustainability while keeping family farms profitable for future generations. Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don't forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.comCall/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/Farm4Profit Media is not a financial, legal, or tax advisor. Content is provided for informational purposes only, and we serve solely as a platform for third-party opinions. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own risk. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

- Ag Markets with Matt Bennett- E15, SREs, the Farm Bill, the Senate, and Biofuels- Sen. Tillis Riffs on Ag Policy & China- Ag Weather with Mike TannuraThe May 14th Closing Market Report details declining agricultural commodity prices, legislative developments, and global crop weather. Grain markets closed significantly lower following the President's visit to China, which yielded no new trade agreement on soybean, a situation compounded by varying weather conditions affecting domestic crops. In Washington, the US House narrowly passed a bill permitting year-round E15 fuel sales, which now faces an uncertain future in the Senate alongside ongoing 2026 Farm Bill negotiations. Additionally, Senator Thom Tillis outlined national security concerns regarding Chinese investments in US farmland and meat processing facilities. Weather analysis indicates severe drought is threatening northern US spring wheat and varying precipitation is impacting the Corn Belt, while Europe receives beneficial rains and Brazil's second corn crop faces early dry season challenges. ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome to Inside D.C., where we break down how decisions in Washington shape the tools you use on your farm. This week, Brownfield's Carah Hart and House Ag Committee Chairman GT Thompson talk about the progress of the “skinny farm bill,” additional farmer ad-hoc assistance and ag policy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bridging the gap between research and real-world impact remains one of Canadian agriculture’s most persistent challenges. Now, this crossover episode of Ag Policy Connection and The Final Mile tackles that issue head on. In this episode, hosted by Tyler McCann and Elise Bigley of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), the conversation brings together Dr.... Read More

Canada’s approach to agricultural risk management is facing growing pressure as producers navigate a more volatile and complex operating environment. In this Ag Policy Exchange webinar, co-hosts Shaun Haney of RealAgriculture and Tyler McCann with the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) unpack how current business risk management (BRM) tools are struggling to keep pace with... Read More

ohnathan Coppess says farm policy has a real opportunity to create incentives for conservation programs.

Farmers rely on farm policy to provide stability and support in such a volatile industry. But right now many are feeling that the system isn't working the way it should.

History proves when production gets too high, market prices always inevitably fall.

A staggering share of Canada’s food never gets eaten—and Lori Nikkel says that’s a systems problem, not an accident. In this episode of the Ag Policy Connection podcast, Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest, outlines why a national food waste strategy is critical to strengthening Canada’s food system. Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization,... Read More

Agriculture is often framed as an economic driver, but Alison Sunstrum says that Canada should treat it as something far more strategic: national security. In this conversation on the Ag Policy Connection podcast with co-hosts Tyler McCann and Elise Bigley of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), Sunstrum—CEO of ConserveX, managing partner at NYA Ventures,... Read More

Growers increasingly concerned over the potential impacts of fuel shortages into harvest, Australia's best kelpie trainers head to SA for the National Kelpie Field Trials, and the Labor and Liberal ag ministers go head to head over ag policy ahead of the state election.

Global agriculture is navigating a period of profound geopolitical, economic, and environmental upheaval, raising urgent questions about how our food systems can remain sustainable, resilient, profitable, and for many, affordable. While politics and conflicts may divide nations and thicken borders, food — and the policies around how it is produced and where it goes —... Read More

Better management doesn’t just improve margins — it could reshape how Canada designs farm policy. In this episode of the Ag Policy Connection podcast, Tyler McCann and Elise Bigley of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute sit down with Terry Betker, founder of Backswath Management, to explore a deceptively simple but far-reaching idea: build a national... Read More

This week's agriculture headlines focus on what the U.S. Treasury's announcement on the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit means for farmers, the EPA's expectation to reapprove dicamba and new guidance surrounding the right to repair, along with a conversation on manufacturing and safety with Bernard Krone of KRONE. On today's show, news includes the clarity welcomed by farmers and biofuel stakeholders following the U.S. Treasury Department's proposed rule for the 45Z tax credit, analyzed on today's show by Continuum Ag CEO and seventh-generation farmer Mitchell Hora. Additional ag policy updates include the EPA expected to reapprove dicamba for over-the-top use on tolerant soybeans and cotton for the 2026 growing season, a Farm Bill 2.0 markup session scheduled for late February and biofuel and farm groups warning Congress in a letter this week that the U.S. farm economy is under serious strain. Policy priorities set at CattleCon, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's annual conference, are also highlighted. This week's interview features Bernard Krone, owner of KRONE, who speaks with Tanner Winterhof at the U.S. Custom Harvester, Inc. annual convention. The conversation focuses on equipment safety and the latest technology in KRONE manufacturing. Stay connected with us for more agriculture content on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with our weekly videos!

It's time to rethink how we fund plant breeding. While much of Canadian agriculture has evolved to meet today’s demands, the model for funding plant breeding is lagging—and risks falling behind entirely. That’s the concern raised by Jason Reinheimer, global head of cereals and pulse research at Limagrain Field Seeds, in this episode of the... Read More

- Jonathan Coppess, University of Illinois  - Brad Stotler, Illinois Corn Growers Association  - KJ Johnson, IL Fertilizer and Chemical Association  ★ Support this podcast ★

With shifting global trade dynamics, extreme weather events, and continued budget cutbacks, Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector enters 2026 facing a mix of challenges and opportunities. This webinar, presented in partnership with the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, examines what's ahead for the sector in the coming year from economic fundamentals, to policy gaps, and onto... Read More

North Dakota Farmers Union President Matt Perdue traveled to Washington D.C. last week. While on Capitol Hill, Perdue visited with Senator John Hoeven about issues that are impacting farmers and ranchers in the state.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Ag Policy Connection episode features a wide-ranging conversation with Carlo Dade, Director of International Policy at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, on the future of Canadian agricultural trade amid profound global change. Dade outlines how Canada has entered a period of generational upheaval in international trade, driven by shifting U.S. policy,... Read More

On today's show, we cover lawmaker agriculture priorities, global ag news and crop protection considerations as farmers plan for the 2026 growing season following a challenging year of disease pressure. Agriculture news this week covers what federal lawmakers will be prioritizing these upcoming few weeks from a discussion heard at the American Farm Bureau Convention earlier this week, and the group's top policy priorities for the year ahead. Today's show also shares the newly signed Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and what it means for schools and dairy farmers, delays to USDA's ARC and PLC programs until after the 2026 planting season, developments involving Venezuela and the energy industry and a new report showing U.S. agricultural equipment sales declined compared to the previous year. This week's interview is with Dean Grossnickle, Technical Development Lead at Syngenta, who joins the show to discuss pre and post-emerge crop protection strategies, especially in light of late-season disease pressure seen last year including Southern rust. The conversation highlights why weed control is more critical than ever and the questions Grossnickle is hearing from farmers this winter as they build their weed management plans. Stay connected with us for more agriculture content on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with our weekly videos!

This week's agriculture news covers USDA priorities for the year ahead, newly released commodity payment rates, and a drone ban that could impact farmers. We also take a closer look at the tools producers can use to help prevent New World screwworm from entering their herds. Agriculture headlines this week include what the USDA will be prioritizing in 2026, reports projecting a trade deficit this year, and an official report showing USDA has lost 18% of its workforce. Additional coverage includes lawmakers divided on whether a farm bill can be passed in 2026, a historic rail merger application being filed, and a study estimating the economic impact of a beef packing plant closure in Nebraska. Today's interview features Elanco Beef Technical Consultant Dr. M. Wayne Ayers, who discusses available tools and ongoing conversations around preventing New World screwworm, Asian longhorned tick, lice, and other parasites. Stay connected with us for more agriculture content on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with our weekly videos!

- Jonathan Coppess, University of Illinois  - Brad Stotler, Illinois Corn Growers Association  - KJ Johnson, IL Fertilizer and Chemical Association  From the Land Grant University in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois this is a special edition of the Closing Market Report. Presentations from the 2025 Farm Assets Conference; Ag Policy Objectives and Prospects. I'm University of Illinois Extension's Todd Gleason.Up next a critical discussion on the evolving landscape of agricultural policy and markets. This panel features KJ Johnson of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, Brad Stotler from the Illinois Corn Growers Association, and Jonathan Coppess of the University of Illinois.Together, we'll dive into the pressing issues facing farmers today, including: - Market Shifts: The transition from ethanol toward new domestic marketplaces for corn.   - Political Climate: The impact of record-breaking congressional retirements and shifting partisan dynamics in Washington and Springfield.   - Trade and Tariffs: The rising concern over fertilizer and chemical costs driven by international trade tensions.   - The Farm Bill: A deep look at the controversial decoupling of food assistance programs from traditional farm subsidies.30:11 running time  ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of the Farm4Profit Podcast, we sit down with Joe Kerns, a 30-year industry veteran and Iowa State University graduate who has worked across procurement, risk management, nutrition, hedging, livestock marketing, and operational benchmarking. Joe doesn't sugarcoat the situation—and his perspective raises uncomfortable but necessary questions about the future of U.S. agriculture, especially pork production.Joe explains why he believes the pork industry is on the brink of becoming “a serf to the packer,” tracing the roots back to the 1998 hog price collapse and the financial community's push for mandatory packer contracts. The result? The negotiated cash market has collapsed from roughly 17% in 2002 to around 1% today, leaving producers without meaningful price discovery and shifting risk almost entirely onto the farm.We also tackle the growing loss of faith in USDA reporting, including:Corn yield overestimations that led to bad marketing decisionsThe September 2024 hog supply miss that sent futures $20/head higherDeclining participation in USDA reports and what that means for accuracyHow flawed data distorts markets, hedging decisions, and producer confidenceBut this episode isn't just about problems—it's about opportunity.Joe outlines how producer-driven, anonymous data aggregation could flip the power dynamic back toward farmers. With enough participation, predictive analytics could unlock insights across genetics, nutrition, management, equipment, and animal health—turning farm data into a monetized advantage instead of a liability.We also explore:Why pork producers may actually be agriculture's quiet sustainability success storyHow efficiency gains from genetics and feed conversion are reshaping protein productionWhy beef prices are likely to remain elevated—and why politics are missing the pointThe hard reality behind renewable diesel, SAF, and global energy policyWhat happens to independent producers if nothing changesThis is a candid, data-driven conversation about power, control, and survival in modern agriculture—and why the next decade may determine whether independence remains viable at all. Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don't forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.comCall/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.