Dem candidates pitch farm policy changes at Iowa Farmers Union forum
Nearly 100 Iowa Farmers Union members gathered Saturday at the Big Oak Barn in Elkhart to hear Democratic candidates outline their plans for the struggling farm economy. With farm incomes down 53% over three years and bankruptcies at a six-year high, the event focused on how candidates would address high input costs, diversify crops, and rewrite the farm bill.
Trone Garriott: Farm bill key to boosting income
Sarah Trone Garriott, the Democrat challenging Republican Rep. Zach Nunn in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, said the farm bill offers a major opportunity to reverse declining farm income. She called for federal incentives to help farmers adopt cover crops and no-till practices, but acknowledged the transition requires upfront investment.
“In the farm bill, we have tremendous opportunity to really incentivize the practices that we know make a difference, cover crops, no till. But in order to do those things, farmers have to invest in some new technology and they have to be prepared for a decrease in their productivity for a period of time,” Trone Garriott said.
She pointed to Nixon-era investments in water quality as a model. “We can do that again. I believe that we have the resources, we have the answers. We just need to direct that support and make it the priority. And we can make a huge positive impact for our state.”
Muhlbauer: Tariffs, input costs driving farm bankruptcies
Dave Muhlbauer, a fifth-generation farmer from Manila running for lieutenant governor on Democrat Rob Sand's ticket, said farmers face a fourth consecutive year of losses. He blamed tariffs and high fuel and fertilizer prices tied to the Iran conflict for the crisis.
“This isn't sustainable to our family farms and it's further driving our state economy into the ditch,” Muhlbauer said. “You know, I'm a farmer. I'm a real farmer. That's my livelihood and what I've done all my life, so I think it's fitting for me to say it's time to rotate crops.”
He noted farm bankruptcies hit a six-year high last April, and farm incomes have dropped 53% in three years. “If it's a good idea, it doesn't matter where it comes from. It's not right versus left but right versus wrong and we're going in the wrong direction.”
Jones: Time for structural change in Iowa agriculture
Chris Jones, Democratic candidate for secretary of agriculture, said Iowa's reliance on corn and soybeans is unsustainable. He called for diversifying into oats, forage crops, vegetables, and fruits to reduce nitrate levels in water and build a more resilient system.
“It's time to stop making incremental change and focus on structural change,” Jones said. “If we want to improve agriculture, if we want to create a resilient and a humane and a sustainable system that delivers good environmental outcomes, we need structural change.”
Jones, who is challenging Republican incumbent Mike Naig, is pushing a local food policy that would serve locally grown food in schools. “We can't be saying we feed the world when we can't feed Polk County.”
Turek: Iowans want change, even former Trump voters
Josh Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs running for U.S. Senate against Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson, said Iowa should not lead the nation in farm foreclosures. He promised to fight for policies that let farmers repair their own equipment and to pass a farm bill that works for them.
“I will not let Congress leave D.C. with a passive farm bill,” Turek said.
He closed by quoting what he hears on the campaign trail: “This is not the state I know. This is not the state I love. We need change. I voted for Ernst. I voted for Trump. Enough is enough.”
The forum highlighted a growing frustration among rural Iowans with the current farm economy, even as Democratic candidates seek to win back voters who supported President Donald Trump in recent elections.