Rollins gets look at Kansas agriculture

Kansas rolled out its red carpet for freshly sworn in Brooke Rollins, the nation’s 33rd secretary of agriculture.

On Feb. 17, she spent time touring several farm operations and met with commodity representatives at the High Plains Ponderosa Dairy LLC, which is located south of Plains.

Rollins was an invited guest by senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran and First District Rep. Tracey Mann. Marshall and Moran are members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Mann is a member of the House Agriculture Committee.

Mann said Rollins was sworn in Feb. 13, and in her first full week on the job she wanted to come to Kansas because of its diversity of crops and livestock production.

“Does everyone like my purple?” Rollins quipped, adding she wanted to be properly attired when she went to the heartland where she noted the tie of agriculture to Kansas State University and the land-grant system that was started by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863.

Coming from Texas, she was most familiar with cattle and cotton production and wants to learn about agriculture in all 50 states.

“I know what I don’t know,” Rollins said.

She said to be selected as secretary of agriculture by President Donald Trump was an honor beyond any of her expectations, but she was appreciative of his support, and she knows how Trump feels about farmers and ranchers and rural America. She told several anecdotes about the president’s appreciation for those who stood with him since his first term in 2017 and now in his return as the 47th president.

Trump believes the federal government needs to work effectively and more efficiently, and that will be one of her tasks at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she said.

Speaking up

Marshall asked presenters to focus on the vision they have for Kansas agriculture. Rollins took many notes during her visit because that will help her when she has questions, she said.

Presenters shared concerns about Trump’s tariff policies’ impact on agricultural exports, immigrant labor and a need for a permanent farm bill.

Norton wheat farmer Chris Tanner said that producers have much on their minds today from markets to weather. As vice president of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, he knows that each region has different challenges. He thanked the Kansas delegation for supporting the Food for Peace program and taking action to moving under the direction of USDA, where Rollins will oversee it.

Tanner said half of the wheat grown in the U.S. is exported, so expanding trade will mean continuing to build relationships with foreign buyers.

Ben McClure, Hugoton, the southwest Kansas district director for Kansas Corn, said he believes future generations of farmers will have more opportunities, but they will have more challenges because agriculture by its nature is a tough industry.

McClure said year-around E15 gasoline is important to corn farmers because it provides an additional market, and it is good for the environment.

McClure also said Rollins will have an important role in implementing a new farm bill, which he hopes will be sooner rather than later, because crop insurance needs to be updated so it is in line with current markets and production costs.

Amy France, Scott City, who is chairwoman of National Sorghum Producers, said sorghum growers are unified in the importance of trade because that is an opportunity to build new markets and adds to the crop’s value.

As an example, India is interested in sorghum because it is a non-genetically modified crop, France said, and the country can use it for poultry feed. She was heartened that Rollins was eager to learn about Kansas agriculture, and said it was beneficial for Kansans, too.

“We want to help you expand our markets,” France said.

Teresa Brandenburg, Russell, who is a board member with the American Soybean Association, is an advocate for Food for Peace and other programs that help feed the world and the fit soybeans have in fulfilling that mission. Kansas ranks No. 11 in soybean production in the United States, and there are many reasons, including research, innovation and opening new markets.

She said soybean production is important to the biofuel industry and that energy is important moving forward. The soybean industry’s work is felt at the local level where the sector benefits Main Street businesses and local schools, she said.

She also advocated for an effective farm bill that can help address volatility.

Bill Simshauer, Lakin, represented the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts. He said federal and state conservation partnerships with local farmers and ranchers have a long history of working together to conserve soil and water resources. Stable food production and national security go hand-in-hand, and those investments pay.

Livestock needs

Phil Weltmer, Smith Center, said at the Kansas Livestock Association that producers need more labor availability. Weltmer said members are supportive of deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, but there are many more immigrants who do or could help with many aspects of livestock production, and he believed they need to have a path to citizenship.

He also noted that burdensome regulations can be counter-productive. Weltmer said in the past 20 years that cattle producers have used a grid system that rewards yield and quality, and that system provides consumers with much more Choice beef than 20 years ago. As a result, cattlemen have benefitted, he said.

Weltmer said livestock producers also recognize the importance of partnerships with federal and state entities for conservation of soil, pastures and water.

Chelsea Good, vice president of government and industry affairs with the Overland Park-based Livestock Marketing Association, said some reforms have been made to the Packers and Stockyards Act that can help salebarns and livestock producers, and she asked Rollins to help with reforms that make sense, particularly when new technology has been introduced.

Ethanol

Tom Willis with Conestoga Energy, Liberal, said Trump is committed to the ethanol industry, and that directly helps farmers. Conestoga has invested in sustainable aviation fuel as a way to reduce its carbon footprint. Byproducts from the production of ethanol can be used to feed cattle, and that also benefits agriculture and consumers, he said.

Other speakers included Glenn Brunkow, a fifth-generation farmer and rancher from Pottawatomie County, who represented the Kansas Farm Bureau and said the grassroots organization has members in every county in the state, and they all want agriculture and rural communities to grow.

Gary Harshberger, a farmer from Dodge City, reiterated that food is a national security issue and that protein fuels the world’s economies. He also advocated an initiative by Trump, Marshall and others in Congress to “Make America Healthy Again” that Harshberger said will pay long-term benefits for children and all Americans.

Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or dbergmeier@hpj.com.