Collin Peterson represented western Minnesota's 7th Congressional District for 30 years, and during that time got a reputation for blunt talk.

He hasn't changed much. As we discussed Peterson's efforts to develop an agriculture policy at North Dakota State University, an entity that will help inform and guide politicians, he shared an anecdote from a recent trip to Iowa. He said he found himself among the Republican presidential candidates when "this Vivek guy" came up to him.

"I didn't have any idea who the hell he was," Peterson said on this episode of Plain Talk. "I thought he was running for Congress."

That "Vivek guy" was Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech industry multi-millionaire who, as I write this, is currently in third place in the GOP primary according to the RealClearPolitics.com polling average.

Can we blame Peterson for not recognizing him? There are currently 13 Republicans officially running for President, a field that runs the gamut from former President Donald Trump to former Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton (no, really).

How does someone like Peterson keep a hugely important but, we must admit, somewhat prosaic topic like agriculture from becoming collateral damage to our nation's dumpster fire politics? He says he works to keep it "low profile" and "bipartisan."

Peterson talked about how agriculture is home to some of America's most bleeding-edge technology, including carbon capture, which he described as the most important issue for ethanol and farming going forward.

Also on this episode, co-host Ben Hanson and I discussed the likelihood that Doug Burgum will qualify for the GOP's second presidential debate, and my upcoming trip to Iowa to cover the governor's campaign there.