Farm bill, herbicide regulations and container shipping highlight Ag Policy Summit

Keeping an eye on regulations that may affect Hoosier farmers, looking for opportunities to expand farm exports and decoding potential farm bill proposals were among the topics covered during the recent 2024 Ag Policy Summit at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds.

The Summit is an annual policy-focused program presented by the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Membership and Policy Committee (M&P) and the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA). M&P Chair Joe Stoller, a farmer from Bremen, Ind., and ICGA President Chris Cherry, a farmer from New Palestine, Ind., welcomed approximately 130 farmers, industry stakeholders and the staff of state and federal lawmakers to the annual event.

“I want you to know our policy organizations have been very busy this year advancing issues important to soybean and corn farmers,” Stoller explained. “We had a productive presence in the General Assembly testifying on behalf of the Biofuels Tax Credit this year, and we are already planning out next year’s Session. Just a couple weeks ago, directors and staff were in Washington, D.C. for American Soybean Association (ASA) meetings and meetings with federal legislative staff, where we highlighted many priority issues for the soybean industry.”

Among the important topics discussed while on Capitol Hill was the overdue farm bill. Former USDA Secretary Mike Johanns gave the Summit’s keynote address about farm bill delays and the prospects of getting one adopted by Congress this year.

Johanns led USDA from 2005-2007 in President George W. Bush’s cabinet. He served as the governor of Nebraska from 1999-2005, then served one term in the U.S. Senate from 2009-2015. These days, Johanns is the Chairman of Agriculture for alliantgroup, which is an agricultural consulting firm focused on tax credits and incentives to support American farmers. In addition, alliantgroup was the Premier sponsor of this year’s Summit.

The biggest challenge to getting a farm bill passed this year, Johanns said, is the combination of few remaining legislative days and election year politics. He said that Republican leadership in the House Ag Committee has passed a farm bill with details that Democratic Party lawmakers dislike. Similarly, Democrat leaders in the Senate Ag Committee have discussed a farm bill plan with elements that Republicans cannot support. He added that the Senate committee has not yet formerly written any legislative text and a farm bill mockup has not been written.

“We will come back after the election, and then there will be a lame duck period from November to January,” Johanns said. “A farm bill will get done, but the election will likely influence it.”

He suggested that if either party wins the White House and takes control of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, then that will probably bring swift passage to a farm bill.

Baird named Friend of Farmer

Among the key members of the House Ag Committee’s farm bill debate is U.S. Rep. Jim Baird (R-Dist. 4). ICGA and M&P announced during the Summit that Baird has been honored with the organization’s Friend of Farmer award for 2024. Baird was unable to attend Wednesday’s Ag Policy Summit, but the policy groups plan to present him with the award during a Shop Talk on Friday, Aug. 9 in White County.

Go online to incornandsoy.org/events to register for this Shop Talk and to see a schedule for other upcoming Shop Talk events in August.

Baird is a lifelong resident of west-central Indiana. The Fourth Congressional District covers 16 of the counties in that region of the state. Prior to being elected to Congress in 2018, Baird was a state representative to the Indiana General Assembly for eight years. He is a Purdue University graduate with degrees in animal science, and he earned a doctorate in monogastric nutrition from the University of Kentucky. Baird is also a decorated Vietnam veteran in the U.S. Army.

Throughout his legislative career, both at the state and federal levels, Baird has served on committees that cover rural and agricultural issues. Cherry and Stoller said Hoosier farmers are well represented by Baird in Congress.

“Congressman Baird has been a longtime friend and ally to our commodity groups and Hoosier farmers,” Cherry said. “He has always been there for ISA and ICGA issues, including an early co-sponsor of the Next Generations Fuels Act. Through his work on the House Agriculture Committee, a farm bill proposal was developed and passed out of committee that includes many of our priorities.”

Monitoring EPA’s herbicide strategy

The Ag Policy Summit covered a variety of issues that M&P and ICGA are watching closely in the coming months – including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) herbicide strategy to comply with the Endangered Species Act. ASA Director of Government Affairs Kyle Kunkler said EPA is caught between ongoing pressure from environmental advocacy groups and farmers who fear the loss of important tools to control weeds.

“EPA must follow certain rules when implementing policy in the registration process,” Kunkler said. “Right now, the lawsuits are playing out faster than the registration process. EPA has a nearly impossible problem to solve, and they have less time to solve it.”

He added that EPA has only released a draft version of its herbicide strategy, so far. Kunkler said the official policy must be announced by Aug. 30. “The official policy isn’t here, yet, but it’s on our doorstep,” he said. “We will have an opportunity to respond to the official policy.”

Go online to ASA’s website at https://soygrowers.com/news_release_category/economists-angle/ to read more on this subject.

Container shipping expansion

ICGA and ISA CEO Courtney Kingery led a panel discussion about expanding ag exports through container shipping. The panel featured:

• Jody Peacock, CEO of the Ports of Indiana
• Aaron Kuhn, Regional Marketing Manager for POET
• Paul Pence, Founder and CEO of Pence Group in Lafayette, Ind.

Because Indiana is a major warehouse and distribution center, many shipping containers enter the state. However, too many containers leave the state empty. Kuhn said the containers are available to be filled, if Indiana agricultural businesses can coordinate the logistics. Peacock said Indiana’s three ports – one on Lake Michigan and two on the Ohio River – can help move agricultural products in containers to export markets around the world.

Pence said the advantage of container shipping is getting smaller quantities of products to places that can’t manage larger shipments. “Our little company in Lafayette, Ind., isn’t going to move the needle much in exports,” he said. “What we can do is prove to Indiana farmers and to importers around the world that we can ship quality products in shipping containers.”

Gauck earns ASA/BASF scholarship

Addie Gauck, a recent high school graduate from Greensburg, Ind., is the recipient of the 2024-25 Soy Scholarship award, sponsored by ASA and BASF. Monrovia, Ind., farmer Keevin Lemenager, who serves on both the ISA and ASA boards, presented Gauck with a certificate for her scholarship during the Summit.

“ASA and BASF are proud to offer this opportunity to invest in future industry leaders,” Lemenager said. “As a farmer director for both ASA and ISA, I am excited to present this $7,000 scholarship to a fellow Hoosier – Addie Gauck. Addie is a 2024 graduate of North Decatur High School and plans to study agriculture systems management at Purdue University. Her impressive agricultural involvement includes numerous awards and leadership roles in 4-H and FFA. Addie also owns Addie’s Fresh Pork and Pasture Raised Chicken, a business she started at age 11.”

Gauck said her father taught her that it is important to maintain her business and agriculture connections. She sees the value in keeping these relationships as she plans her future career. Gauck said her goal is to bring together all the skills she’s learned to improve the agriculture industry and her community.

Sponsorship and membership

The policy organization leaders emphasized that their work relies upon the investment and involvement of industry partners and their farmer members.

“Along with Indiana Soybean Alliance Membership & Policy Committee, ICGA works closely with our allied industries, recognizing the roles that food, livestock, industry, trade and fuel markets respectively play in building one, cohesive farm economy supporting our rural communities,” Cherry said. “As many of you know, we are membership organizations that serve as the policy voice of Indiana’s soybean and corn farmers. Our policy work is not funded by checkoff dollars. That means we must rely on membership dollars and corporate contributions to ensure farmer voices are heard and to address issues at all levels of government that directly affect Hoosier crop producers.”

ICGA and M&P hosted a Membership Appreciation Dinner, a members-only event, to recognize their contribution to the farm advocacy efforts. Several farmers who have signed up to be Lifetime Members of M&P and ICGA were honored during the dinner. Anyone interested in more information about Lifetime Membership should contact Khyla Goodman, Industry Affairs Outreach Manager for ICGA and M&P, at [email protected].