From left to right, Daweyn Albertsen, Farm Bureau Regional Manager Rob Pangbrun, Cordt Holub, Sierra Hagedon, Rep. Ashley Hinson, Lisa Kubik, Rebecca Dostal and Derek Kienzle pose for a photo at the conclusion of last Tuesday’s (Aug. 6) roundtable event at the Tama Civic Center. PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY

TAMA – As she reiterated near the end of her Women in Ag roundtable at the Tama Civic Center on Tuesday, Aug. 6, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), who grew up in the Des Moines area and now calls Marion home, isn’t a farmer and won’t ever pretend to be one. But the congresswoman, who represents Iowa’s Second District, is always interested in hearing from the women who work in the state’s agricultural sector, and in partnership with the local Farm Bureau, she assembled seven of them from Tama, Benton and Iowa counties for a meeting aimed at discussing current and looming challenges and opportunities related to the farm economy.

Over about 45 minutes, Hinson and her panel conversed about the negotiations on the Farm Bill, commodity prices, the controversial EATS Act, Mexico’s ban on genetically modified corn, recent layoffs at equipment manufacturers like John Deere and Kinze, disputes with China and efforts to attract workers to rural Iowa. Hinson said she was “frustrated” with the situation surrounding the stalled Farm Bill, which is running up against the end of a one-year extension on Sept. 30 after the previous five-year bill technically expired on Sept. 30, 2023.

Hinson expressed optimism about, at the bare minimum, getting another one-year extension passed once Congress returns from its August recess. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Republican-proposed Farm Bill currently under consideration would add $33 billion to the federal deficit, and it has faced pushback from Republicans in the conservative Freedom Caucus over its price tag.

“That cost is significant, but I think making investments in American agriculture is really critical right now with what’s happening around the world, not just for the food supply and food security here at home,” she said.

Even in Cedar Rapids, which is the Second District’s largest metropolitan area, Hinson noted that agricultural production supports thousands of jobs through employers like ADM and Cargill, which underscores the importance of a strong farm economy for residents both urban and rural.

Lisa Kubik of rural Traer shared her insight on the state of the beef market, and Rebecca Dostal, who also farms outside of Traer, broached the topic of layoffs in the agricultural equipment industry.

“We can’t afford that equipment anyhow. That’s why there’s layoffs. They’ve made the prices so high,” Dostal said. “We’re gonna have to make do with what we have.”

A struggle to access capital and high interest rates are other hurdles Hinson highlighted. The congresswoman, who is a member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, then asked the attendees if they had concerns about the world’s most populated country — specifically, in relation to the theft of intellectual property and land ownership.

Sierra Hagedon, another farmer from the Traer area, opined that while China often gets the most attention, nationals from several other countries including Canada own American land. Staci Buhr from Benton County also noted that China is one of the biggest recipients of American agricultural exports, so any negotiations required “a delicate balance.”

“They love to steal, and I know it’s not just China, but China is the worst offender and they come in and they blatantly steal our IP,” Hinson said. “One area where we’ve seen a lot of it happen is drone technology.”

The final third of the conversation shifted toward delays in getting equipment repaired — Buhr said a mechanic told her to expect to wait at least a month — as well as the challenges in finding reliable laborers as Hinson referenced the Iowa state legislature’s easing of work restrictions on teenagers, which in turn has generated attention from the federal Department of Labor (DOL).

“I think it’s a great thing if teenagers are able to work in safe conditions. I would never want to send my kid into a place that was not safe for them. My 13-year-old’s probably not ready to bale hay, but he certainly could help scoop some stuff or do some other things, right? So I think there’s a balance to be had there,” she said.

Finally, the congresswoman highlighted her efforts to advocate for women’s healthcare in rural Iowa (she was headed to the hospital in Grinnell next), especially maternity services as part of her larger goal to grow the state’s population, and secure funding for various projects within her district.

Before departing, Hinson, a former television news anchor, held a brief media availability and answered questions on what, if anything, the federal government can do to assist employees who have been laid off recently and the news of the day — the announcement that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, had officially selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

“First and foremost, anyone who’s lost their job, my heart goes out to them, and I would encourage them to reach out to our office if we can be helpful in connecting them with any of the resources that are out there. IowaWORKS, I know, is a great tool for folks who have gotten themselves in this position,” she said. “But I think what it speaks to, and what was the subject of a lot of our conversation today was that the inflation people have seen, the input prices people have seen, compounded over the last couple of years, have really crimped the available resources people have to invest in new equipment. So this is a result of years and years of failed economic policy across the board, which has now trickled down to our manufacturing sector. I think it’s definitely a warning sign of things to come. I think, looking at the economic conditions, what’s going on around the world, it’s a direct result of failed leadership from the White House.”

Hinson predicted that Walz would “masquerade as a Minnesota moderate,” but she felt he was “as radical and liberal as they come,” citing his positions on immigration and the 2020 protests and riots that broke out in Minneapolis after the murder of George Floyd.

“I think we’re looking forward to, over the next couple of months, campaigning against the Harris-Walz agenda because we know they’ll tax everything that moves and won’t support law enforcement and our communities will be less safe,” she said. “I have not had a chance to dive into (Walz’s) resume, but I’ll tell you this. When I talk to my colleagues who serve from Minnesota, they say his policies have taken Minnesota in the wrong direction. And I trust my colleagues there.”