Pictured: Sen. Ernst (right) and Iowa Pork Producers President Aaron Juergens (left) speak with area pork and beef producers during a May 27, 2025, roundtable in Carroll.
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst says Congress is trying to include as many provisions of the Farm Bill in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” as it makes its way through the budget reconciliation process. Ernst met with local members of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Pork Producers on Tuesday in Carroll to collect input from people in the industry most affected by ag policymakers in Washington, D.C.
Aaron Juergens of Carroll, who serves as president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, says the primary concerns for most producers, be it pork, beef, or row crop, are future funding for foreign animal disease research, Farm Bill renewal, and free and fair international trade. Ernst says much of their focus now is on budget reconciliation, which does allocate funding for animal health in its current form.
Ernst adds the Farm Bill remains a challenge, as the more they get done separated from a true renewal, the less pressure there is on her colleagues from non-agricultural states to move it through.
Several producers questioned Ernst on the uncertainty created in the industry as a result of President Trump’s trade negotiations and tariff use. She says the president is very aware of the impact it has on individual farmers, but Ernst believes it will be worth it in the end.
Ernst points to the $42 billion trade deficit in agricultural goods that existed under the Biden Administration and says Trump is determined to see more American products in foreign markets. The Senate hopes to see its version of the reconciliation bill passed by July 4, which could bring both chambers back to the negotiating table based on how much in the House’s version makes it through. A new five-year Farm Bill, which was last approved in 2018, isn’t likely to receive serious attention until after the Independence Day holiday.
