Podcasts by Groundwork

Ep. 38 (Richard Syverson, 4th-generation farmer&Minnesota Corn Growers Association president) from 2023-09-28T14:45:30

Last summer, corn had a golden moment when seven-year-old Tariq was interviewed about his love for corn in a video that permeated pop cu...

Ep. 37 (Ryan Williamson&Piper Merritt, Supporting the Next Generation of Farmers) from 2023-07-27T10:39:47

Did you know the average age of an American farmer is almost 58 years old?

It’s a startling statistic, considering the vital role of farmers in our daily lives. With a growing global popu...

Ep. 36 (Dr. Bart Fischer, Federal Investments in Farm Policy) from 2023-04-18T15:18:10

It’s budget season on Capitol Hill, and when it comes to the federal budget, there is no better investment than farm policy.

That’s because only a fraction of a percent of federal spendin...

Ep. 35 (Chairman Glenn ”GT” Thompson, House Agriculture Committee) from 2023-02-10T10:58:48

Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, knows there's a sense of urgency to pass a Farm Bill before the current legislation expires on October 1.

“Ru...

Ep. 34 (Ray Sterling, Author of Farmers versus Foodies) from 2022-12-19T10:51:08

It’s a rallying cry pushed by special-interest groups and farm policy critics: dismantle the U.S. food system! But a fundamental misunderstanding of how our food is grown leads to bad ideas and ...

Ep. 33 (Dr. Rob Johansson, Director of Economics and Policy Analysis, American Sugar Alliance) from 2022-11-23T11:15:04

As Thanksgiving approaches, food prices might be a topic of conversation around your dinner table. Dr. Rob Johansson, Director of Economics and Policy Analysis at the American Sugar Alliance (AS...

Ep. 32 (Jim Sugarek, 6th Generation Farmer, president of the Southwest Council of Agribusiness) from 2022-10-19T10:53:29

When you look at farms across the American southwest, you’re struck by the incredible diversity of agriculture. Rice, poultry, timber, peanuts, pecans, cotton, corn and “all the vegetables you c...

Ep. 31 (Jennifer James, Arkansas Rice Farmer) from 2022-08-18T10:55:51

With a Farm Bill on the horizon, Congress is already hearing from policy wonks, think tank experts, and DC insiders about what they think legislation should say. But the most important voice in ...

Ep. 30 (August Pfluger, Congressman for Texas’ 11th district) from 2022-07-01T09:53:12

When August Pfluger decided to join the Air Force, he drew upon a deeply ingrained desire to put service before self. Now, as the congressman representing Texas’ 11th district, Pfluger recognize...

Ep. 29 (Jocelyn Schlichting, Fourth-Generation Minnesota Farmer) from 2022-06-07T11:04:04

Jocelyn Schlichting is a fourth-generation farmer who recently joined Farm Policy Facts on our Groundwork podcast to talk about the future of agriculture. Jocelyn returned to the farm five years...

Ep. 28 (Joanie Grimes, Crop Insurance Agent) from 2022-04-29T16:20:38

In America, approximately 220,000 farming and ranching families raise 80 percent of the crops and livestock that feed an...

Ep. 27 (Paul Neiffer, The Farm CPA) from 2022-03-31T12:44:45

Benjamin Franklin once famously said, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. So, we invited Paul Neiffer, Principal at CliftonLarsonAllen and author of the blog Van ...

Ep. 24 (Dr. Bart Fischer, Professor of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M and Co-Director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center) from 2021-11-17T11:58:16

Challenges in the cattle markets are not new, but the pandemic has herded these problems to the forefront with historic packer profits – a function of spreads between the prices ranchers are pai...

Ep. 23 (Michelle Miller, the Farm Babe) from 2021-10-05T15:57:45

More than ten years ago, Michelle Miller gave up gluten and swore off GMOs after believing the pervasive misinformation often peddled online about modern-day farming. Then, she fell in love with...

Ep. 22 (Jack Roney, America’s Sweetest Expert Talks Sugar Policy) from 2021-09-13T12:35:55

“I’m very proud of the fact that we’ve sustained a sugar policy that has operated at zero cost to taxpayers,” Jack Roney, the veteran sugar economist, said on a recent episode of Groundwork whil...

Ep. 21 (Steve Verett, Champion for Cotton Growers) from 2021-08-18T10:50:33

For decades, West Texas cotton growers have had a fearless champion on their side: Steve Verett. As the recently retired CEO of Plains Cotton Growers, Verett advocated for both cotton growers an...

Ep. 20 (Dr. Tryon Wickersham, Associate Professor of Animal Nutrition at Texas A&M University) from 2021-08-06T10:49:59

A small group of radical environmentalists have declared war on America’s cattle producers and sworn off burgers, all with the dubious claim of fighting climate change.

We wanted to dig i...

Ep. 19 (Mark Isbell, A Farmer's Perspective on Climate Change) from 2021-06-17T12:50:58

While it can be easy to get caught up in buzzwords or trending policy ideas when it comes to climate change, America’s farmers and ranchers are already doing the hard work to increase resiliency...

Ep. 18 (Kevin Brinkley, President and CEO of the Plains Cotton Cooperative Association) from 2021-05-25T10:08:48

Kevin Brinkley, President and CEO of the Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA), joined Farm Policy Fact’s Groundwork podcast to discuss the importance of infrastructure to efficient globa...

Ep. 17 (Collin Peterson, Former Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee) from 2021-03-30T10:37:35

Collin Peterson, former Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, recently retired from Congress after thirty years of service to America’s farmers and ranchers.

His retirement was sho...

Ep. 16 (Dr. Rob Johansson, Associate Director of Economics and Policy Analysis at the American Sugar Alliance) from 2021-03-15T11:00:02

We must not weaken the farm safety net.

That was one of the messages esteemed ag economist Dr. Rob Johansson shared on this month’s episode of Groundwork.

Dr. Johansson is the Asso...

Ep. 15 (Brandon Willis, former RMA Administrator&previous Senior Advisor to Sec. Vilsack) from 2020-12-17T19:11:52

“If I had to describe [Secretary Tom Vilsack] in one word: driven.”

That’s how Brandon Willis, former Administrator of the Risk Management Agency ...

Ep. 14 (Nicole Berg, Wheat Farmer and Vice President of the National Association of Wheat Growers) from 2020-11-23T08:53:06

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 affo...

Ep. 13 (Crop Insurance Agents Casey Clipson and Jack Tank) from 2020-10-06T13:09:30

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...

Ep. 12 (Denny Hymel, Fast Food Farm&Lisa Borgen, American Crystal Sugar Company) from 2020-08-10T21:27:35

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 tab...

Ep. 11 (Jeff Harrison, Farm Policy Expert) from 2020-07-02T12:16:15

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 ...

Ep. 10 (Rep. Mike Conaway) from 2020-05-01T09:23:59

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 ...

Ep. 09 (Dr. Joe Outlaw, Agricultural Economist&Co-Director of Agricultural&Food Policy Center at Texas A&M) from 2020-03-09T10:12:07

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 C...

Ep. 08 (Dr. John Newton, Chief Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation) from 2019-12-18T13:31:40

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 ...

Ep. 07 (Roger Johnson, President of National Farmers Union) from 2019-11-26T11:34:38

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 sha...

Ep. 06 (Brian Thalmann, Minnesota Corn Growers Association) from 2019-10-24T12:57:06

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, ...

Ep. 05 (John Gilliland, Trade Attorney) from 2019-09-17T10:49:20

America’s farmers have found themselves on the front lines of an ongoing trade war, but recent news on three major trade fronts has farmers across the heartland cautiously optimistic. Trade atto...

Ep. 04 (Dr. Darren Hudson) from 2019-08-06T10:29:33

To take a deeper dive into the issue of foreign farm subsidies, #Groundwork reached out to one of the foremost experts in the field, Dr. Darren Hudson. Hudson is the Director of the Internationa...

Ep. 03 (Ruth Gerdes, President of Auburn Agency Crop Insurance) from 2019-07-24T12:56:16

Historic rains this spring brought devastation to farming communities across the Midwest. As floodwaters rose, farmers had just hours to evacuate their families. Equipment was destroyed, grain w...

Ep. 02 (Dairy Farmer, Steve Hoffman) from 2019-06-12T12:58:52

Steve Hoffman joined Farm Policy Facts from his dairy farm in New Ulm, Minnesota to share with Groundwork listeners how momentum is building both across the heartland and within the halls of Con...

Ep. 01 (Farmers John Snyder&Travis Medine) from 2019-04-19T12:42:42

Hear from farmers John Snyder and Travis Medine on the first installment of Groundwork. This monthly podcast will focus on a range of policy issues that are important to American farmers in upco...