Agri-Pulse Open Mic Interview

This week’s Open Mic guest is Steve Becraft, general manager and CEO of Southern States Cooperative. The farmer-owned retailer is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Becraft acknowledges the many challenges farmers and their cooperative have survived and looks forward to new horizons of meeting the needs of the customers and communities they serve. After a recent marriage with Growmark, Becraft says the group is on solid financial footing. In this interview, Becraft discusses the challenges of urban sprawl, labor and transportation as well as the opportunity of helping farmers find sustainable solutions to improve productivity and efficiency in their operations.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Jon Doggett, who retired as CEO of the National Growers Association at the end of 2022. In this interview, Doggett reflects on leaders and policy events in history where ag leaders met the challenges facing the industry. Doggett also discusses the role environmental issues may play in developing new farm programs, the odds of approving a new farm bill in 2023 and the implications of Mexico’s proposed ban on GMO corn.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Charles Baron, co-founder and chief innovation officer of Farmers Business Network. What began as a small group of farmers sharing seed performance information has become an international network of thousands of farmers and millions of acres. FBN has expanded its original model of data sharing to include product packaging, a national network of warehouses, farmer financing and access to carbon-sequestering farming practices. In this interview, Baron discusses the network’s growth and opportunities for expansion in North America and around the world.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo, who has been instrumental in writing and approving two farm bills as well as countless other pieces of legislation important to agriculture and rural America. Now wrapping up her tenure in Congress, the Missouri Republican looks back on accomplishments while serving on the House Agriculture and Armed Services Committees and looks ahead to challenges the 118th Congress will face in writing new farm policy. Hartzler believes there’s a better-than-average chance a new farm bill will be approved next year but sees nutrition programs and climate policy as contentious issues.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Dan Halstrom, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Despite logistical challenges from a strained national infrastructure, high prices and a strong U.S. dollar, sales of red meat to global customers are running at or near a record pace for 2022. While there’s no shortage of global meat production, Halstrom says expected growth in global consumer demand should absorb additional meat supplies. Mexico has become a valuable market for U.S. pork, and Halstrom says they’re keeping a close eye on the threat of a trade spat over GMO corn imports.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Doug Winter, chairman of the U.S. Soybean Export Council. Despite increased competition and global economic challenges, more than half the U.S. soybean production is destined for export customers. Last week Winter and the soybean industry celebrated a 40-year anniversary of opening the Chinese market. Now, U.S. growers are in search of other opportunities for their beans, oil and meal. In this interview, Winter discusses the growing importance of sustainable production to maintaining markets and how the quality of U.S. soy is helping to overcome less expensive South American supplies.