Groundwork

“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 as forecast where Secretary Vilsack might lead the agency.

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 to talk about how rural America gives back all year round through food aid.

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.

Groundwork spoke to crop insurance agents Casey Clipson and Jack Tank about the unique challenges of this year and the indispensable role that crop insurance plays in the farm safety net. 

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 adapted their work to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 government’s response to the pandemic. This episode was recorded earlier this month. For the most up-to-date information from Ranking Member Conaway, please visit republicans-agriculture.house.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 facing farmers as they head into the harvest season.