The Spokesman Speaks: Ag Insights for Your Farm and Family

Welcome to Episode 38 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast.

This special episode features a one-on-one conversation with U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (on April 27, 2020), regarding current and future COVID-19 relief through the federal government.

Watch for our next regularly-scheduled episode of The Spokesman Speaks podcast on Monday, May 4.

Welcome to Episode 37 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast.

Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill discusses important COVID-19 relief for agriculture.

Iowa Food Bank Association (IFBA) Executive Director Linda Gorkow talks about food banks' urgent needs, and how a new $100,000 donation by Iowa Farm Bureau is making a difference. Visit IowaFBA.org to help IFBA, your regional food bank, or your local food pantry.

Iowa State University (ISU) cover crops expert Dr. Mark Licht shares insights from a new manual with consensus recommendations (from ISU, USDA and other leading scientists and technical specialists) on managing your cover crops and other conservation practices. Click here (https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/15823) to download the manual.

ISU farm safety expert Dr. Chuck Schwab offers tips for a safe planting season (including tips pertaining to COVID-19 prevention).

Welcome to Episode 36 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast.

This episode, hosted by Delaney Howell, features economists Dr. Sam Funk (Iowa Farm Bureau) and Dr. Chad Hart (Iowa State University) talking about the impact coronavirus is having on agriculture and what agriculture is doing to fight back.

We also have a 2020 growing season weather forecast from ag climatologist Dr. Dennis Todey (Director of USDA's Midwest Climate Hub).

This episode also refers to free and confidential resources available to farm families who are coping with stress right now. Those resources are available here: https://www.iowafarmbureau.com/Stress-Mental-Health-Resources

Welcome to Episode 35 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast.

This National Agriculture Week episode (hosted by Delaney Howell) features an interview with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig on Iowa's water quality progress and the steps being taken to scale up water quality protection practices.

It also includes tips from Charlie Arnot (CEO of the Center for Food Integrity) on the best ways for farmers to respond to the challenge of imitation meat.

And the episode wraps up with four Iowa farmers' firsthand insights into Brazilian agriculture and infrastructure.

Welcome to Episode 34 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast.

This episode is all about sustainability and agriculture's shrinking environmental footprint.

Dr. Jean Lonie of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance dissects a 2019 report indicating that U.S. agriculture is on a trajectory to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 50% over the next five years. Here's that report: https://usfarmersandranchers.org/usfra-2019-report/

Dr. Sara Place of Elanco shares the facts about greenhouse gas emissions from cattle and the essential nutrition we receive from meat.

And Dr. Dan Loy of Iowa State University and the Iowa Beef Center explains how cattle "upcycle" human inedible products into high quality protein for humans.

Welcome to Episode 33 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast.

This episode features a forecast from Iowa Farm Bureau Senior Economist Dr. Sam Funk, who sees signs that Iowa corn and soybean growers may be able to break even or secure profit opportunities in 2020. It also includes an interview with Brett Sciotto, the President and CEO of Aimpoint Research. Brett's a former Army Intelligence Officer, and his company did an interesting study on the characteristics of farmers who are set up for long-term success.

Welcome to Episode 32 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast.

This episode (hosted by Delaney Howell) provides livestock farmers tips for handling opposition to their operations.

Hannah Thompson-Weeman (Vice President of Communications for the Animal Agriculture Alliance) offers her insights into how livestock farmers can build local trust proactively, and Story County farmer Eric Henry shares his first-hand experience handling local opposition and developing allies.

Welcome to Episode 31 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast.

In this episode, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Ken Isley and Iowa Farm Bureau Senior Economist Dr. Sam Funk analyze the United States' Phase 1 trade agreement with China.

Isley and Funk also discuss other recent trade agreements (USMCA and Japan) and potential future agreements.

Welcome to Episode 30 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast.

January 13 marks the beginning of Iowa's 2020 legislative session, and this episode features a preview of Iowa Farm Bureau's legislative priorities in 2020, along with an update (from Iowa DNR Water Quality Resource Coordinator Adam Schnieders) on the significant progress that's being made on one evergreen priority: protecting and improving Iowa's water quality.

This episode also includes a conversation with Iowa State University meat scientist Dr. Rodrigo Tarte, about imitation meat products and how they are being marketed.

Welcome to Episode 29 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. This episode focuses on managing stress and overcoming adversity, topics that have become all-too-familiar in farm country.

The episode features an interview with Chris Norton, a former Luther College football player who overcame a devastating spinal cord injury and inspired millions of people in the process. The episode also includes an interview with Dr. Larry Tranel, an Iowa State Extension dairy specialist, ordained minister and rural psychologist who offers practical tips for managing the stress that's mounting on farms around the country.

If you need free, confidential assistance dealing with stress (available 24/7), Dr. Tranel recommends the Iowa Concern Hotline, which is 1-800-447-1985. The Iowa Concern website is https://www.extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcern/.