Agri-Pulse Open Mic Interview

This week’s Open Mic guest is Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association. The Biden administration’s vehicle emissions rulemaking is drawing fire from oil and agriculture industry groups over concerns the rule would be a de-facto ban on internal combustion engines in the future. RFA is one of more than 100 groups that wrote President Joe Biden recently asking for liquid transportation fuels and various engine technologies to be a part of the solution to meet the nation’s goals for reducing emissions. Cooper laments headwinds for renewable fuels from the last three administrations and says it’s time for legislation to define the regulatory role of the EPA.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. After an extended tenure of serving his constituents in Utah in the U.S. House of Representatives, Matheson assumed the reins of the NRECA in 2016. Rural residents formed their own electric cooperatives in the 1930’s to bring electric service to their homes and communities. Today, those same member owned organizations serve over half of the land mass in the nation and more than 42-million customers. Matheson speaks to the challenges of meeting growing demand for electric power including electric generation and transmission. He is in favor of renewable energy sources but says the nation needs reliable power generation in the face of growing demand from industry, homes and an influx of electric vehicles. Matheson says the digital divide is real in rural America and the NRECA is working to close the digital gap for the sake of health care, education, precision agriculture and rural development.

This week’s Open Mic guest is House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson. After spending time with yet another farm bill listening session, the Pennsylvania Republican spent time reflecting on listening sessions in 40 states. Thompson says it’s evident that farm programs provide critical risk management tools in every state as well as conservation programs, food safety and nutrition. He acknowledges the financial obstacles of writing new farm policy but shares thoughts of pulling funds from various resources to fund programs. Thompson also shares insights from a labor task force he has appointed to survey agriculture’s need for an adequate workforce.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Scott Hays, president of the National Pork Producers Council. As a fifth-generation pig farmer from Missouri, Hays says he’s gratified to see his children taking over the operation, but he recognizes the challenges facing his family and other operations across the country are more onerous than ever before. The economic climate has red ink flowing for producers this year with additional pressure coming from more regulations, challenging global market access, the threat of foreign animal disease and a lack of available labor. In this interview, Hays shares challenges and opportunities facing pig farmers in the nation today.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, the Washington representative says leaders have a responsibility to maintain the financial security of the country. Newhouse says the committee's fiscal year 2024 USDA-FDA spending plan is less than a year ago, but is a fair compromise given the nation’s growing debt. In this interview, Newhouse discusses foreign land ownership, nutrition programs, food waste and legislation he’s introduced to protect gas stoves in millions of homes across America.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Ryan LeGrand, president and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council. Larger world supplies, a challenging global economy and the threat of trade restrictions are all weighing on the U.S. Grains Council’s goal of growing markets for American farmers. LeGrand is pleased with the Biden administration’s actions to challenge Mexico’s import ban on genetically modified white corn and other biotechnology issues. LeGrand says a record Brazilian corn crop is being offered at prices more discounted than the U.S. supplies and more bushels of wheat are being utilized in feed rations. LeGrand says the council could certainly make good use of additional trade promotion funds if they're available in a new farm bill.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Chef José Andrés. The world-renowned, chef, author and humanitarian believes the power of food can change the world. Andrés recently announced a partnership with George Washington University to build a Global Food Institute to lead the world in food system delivery. Andrés says providing humanitarian food assistance may alleviate an immediate need for hungry nations or those experiencing tragedy, but a long-term investment is needed to support local farms and food systems. Andrés believes in a central government strategy focused on food to change people’s lives and the health of the planet

This week’s Open Mic guest is Neil Caskey, CEO of the National Corn Growers Association. At the time Congress is preparing to write a new farm bill, corn farmers are facing a period of high input costs and declining crop prices. Questions facing the future of ethanol consumption in the U.S. and challenges on the trade front with Mexico are all issues bearing down on corn farmers nationwide. Caskey says the country’s energy policy is also a concern and approval of the Next Generation Fuels Act is key to farmers and rural America.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Kevin Lucke, president of Chevron Renewable Energy Group. Chevron’s 2022 purchase of the Renewable Energy Group represents a significant paradigm shift in the energy industry, but the acquisition is just a portion of the global company’s effort to provide low-carbon fuels for its customers. Lucke sees tremendous potential in renewable biodiesel and is collaborating with industry and farmers to boost the production of renewable fuel in addition to their petroleum-based products. Lucke believes in an “all of the above” approach to the nation’s energy needs but sees tremendous growth potential in renewable fuels.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Meagan Kaiser, chair of the United Soybean Board. For more than 30 years, the soybean checkoff board has been investing farmer dollars to improve both opportunities and sustainability practices for soybean growers in the U.S. Kaiser says investments decades before in biodiesel and the food industry are now paying big dividends for growers, industry, the environment and consumers. Kaiser is just back from Rome and a meeting with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. She sees opportunity in the Farmers for Soil Health Partnership and praises the cooperation between USDA and agriculture groups to improve productivity and farmer contribution for a better environment.