Agri-Pulse Open Mic Podcast

This week’s Open Mic guest is Neil Dierks, CEO of the National Pork Producers Council.  After a 40-year career serving agriculture with the last 20 years as the lead of the nation’s pork producers, Dierks is retiring back to the farm. He says the organization is strong in standing up for swine producers on Capitol Hill regarding environmental issues, science-based regulations and more access to international markets. Dierks says pork producers have worked toward sustainability and productivity goals for decades with many now carbon neutral and some as a carbon sink. His organization has concerns about efforts to redefine the Waters of the U.S. and labeling of alternate meat sources.

This week's Open Mic guest is Donnell Rehagen, CEO of Clean Fuels Alliance America. Members of the groups spent last week in Washington reporting the positive impact the EPA's higher RVO numbers are already having in their industry. Later in the week, USDA finalized the Regenerative Feedstocks rule and provided an updated version of the USDA Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator. Rehagen says the industry is poised for growth and hopes future RVO guidance can provide room for continued expansion of the renewable fuels sector. 

This week's Open Mic guest is Krysta Harden, President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Sales of dairy products in North America and around the globe have seen exponential increases over the past few decades. Harden discusses renewal of the USMCA trade agreement, proposed language in a new farm bill that would improve the outlook for dairy farmers and the International Year of the Women Farmer. 

This week's Open Mic guest is Dr. Paul Bloom, CEO of Gevo Inc. The company is bringing innovation to the renewable fuel sector. Bloom says the company's primary focus is commercializing and scaling a proven alcohol to jet pathway to make aviation fuel. Gevo is engaged in technology, process, and intellectual property development targeted to large-scale deployment of renewable hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals. Potential investors need increased certainty from government programs and tax incentives to allow the industry to flourish, he adds.

This week's Open Mic guest is Dr. Scott Hutchins, Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Hutchins says the USDA's Proving Grounds for Network for AgTech will help farmers adopt technologies to improve production and boost efficiency.  Hutchins says the USDA restructuring will streamline operations, strengthen leadership accountability and position resources closer to the ag communities USDA serves. 

This week's Open Mic guest is Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Demand for electricity is growing across the nation because of data centers and other demands at the same time that coal fired power plants are being taken off-line. Matheson says the base load of electricity is running close to capacity in many areas of the country and vulnerable to failure in summer and winter weather extremes. He discusses why cooperatives need finances to restore electric generation and transmission following growing weather extremes in the nation.