KEEP AMERICA
Since taking office in 2016, President Donald Trump has fought many battles from behind his twitter handle.
Although most U.S. farmers and ranchers don’t agree with Trump’s public relations tactics, they do find comfort in his
conservative-based, aggressive platform to “Make America Great Again.”
Drive down any road in rural America and you’ll likely find a Trump
2020 flag hanging proudly from the bed of a pickup truck or at
the tippy top of a grain bin. It’s no secret that most U.S. farmers
and ranchers don’t find comfort in the idea of a Democratic president.
However, the real question is, has Trump done the agricultural industry
enough good in the last four years to warrant his re-election? And does
his current platform lend itself to creating an economy farmers and
producers can truly thrive in through 2024?
Some might say yes, while others will present the age-old “it depends”
argument. One thing is for sure, Trump can do better than he has in the
last four years. U.S. farmers and ranchers have some strong suggestions
about how he can accomplish that.
TRUMP TODAY
Leaning towards the do-it-yourself mentality in the past, producers
have gotten a firsthand look at why asking for help doesn’t equate to
weakness. Not only is American agriculture vulnerable to the everchanging
weather patterns, but it’s also at the mercy of market prices.
Prior to 2016, producers were staring down the barrel of increased
regulations that lead to a downturn in the markets. There were multiple
contributing factors feeding into this fear as America headed to the polls
in 2016.
“Having year after year of reportedly record crop production and
subsequent grain carry over has only helped lower commodity prices,”
said Nolan Sampson who works in farm real estate by day. Along with
his wife, Kelsey, Sampson is a grain farmer on nights and weekends;
raising soybeans, corn, and popcorn near Union Mills, Indiana, at NK
Sampson Farms.
The Sampson duo also raise cattle and market them directly off their
farm to customers. This custom beef processing business allows the
Sampsons to keep their thumb on the pulse of their grain customers.
It also provides their local community with a connection to the
producers who reap the benefits, or detriments, of their
voting decisions.
Sampson finds himself feeling a bit outspoken
on the topic of grain market prices, but he’s
optimistic Trump can turn things around if he
continues listening to farmers.
“I think producers are more confident that they aren’t going to see
overreach in regulation as they were before,” Sampson said. “In my
opinion, we producers get in our heads about the political affiliation of
our president.”
STEP ON THE GAS
Although most voters
wouldn’t consider
ethanol an attractive
point of Trump’s
2016 campaign, it
certainly caught the
attention of American
farmers. Why? Corn is
a versatile crop and,
according to the United
States Department of
Agriculture (USDA),
it’s grown in all
40 states.
158 The TRUMP RALLY Publication