Bill Wykes is a soybean farmer and the past chair of the Illinois Soybean Association. He is a strong advocate of biotechnology and utilization of science and innovation in agriculture. Wykes is concerned about regulatory and trade issues facing biotechnology and has encouraged the ISA to host a symposium on the dynamics of international biotechnology.

Bill Wykes

Lynn Jenkins is the second district U.S. Representative from Kansas. She grew up on a dairy farm near Holton. She is in her third term and has risen to vice-chair of the Republican house conference. Jenkins speaks out about federal agencies and their heavy handed approach in regulating business and industry. She has co-sponsored legislation to allow citizens to have a stronger defense against a government agency by recording phone calls and holding government personnel accountable. Jenkins is also working to determine what federal nutrition policy will be most effective in addressing citizen needs in the future.

Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins

Congressman Dave Loebsack, who recently hosted Rep. Collin Peterson, the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, in his southeastern Iowa district, explains why he and other Democrats could not support the split farm bill that passed the House a few weeks ago with only GOP votes. Loebsack is quite concerned about failure to get a farm bill through Congress this year and cites his concerns for agriculture if the current one-year farm bill extension expires.

Rep. Dave Loebsack

Dr Richard Raymond is a former Undersecretary for Food Safety with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He addresses the social and political ramifications of use of antibiotics and growth promotants in livestock. Dr Raymond sees a direct correlation between the rise of social media and the rise in consumer fears of antibiotic use in livestock, lean finely textured meat and ractopamine. He offers constructive criticism of the industry and advice on how growers can be proactive rather than reactive.

Dr. Richard Raymond

Fresh from voting on a split farm bill that creates a new permanent farm law, Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas, tells why GOP leaders decided to pursue this path. Neugebauer represents the 19th Congressional District of Texas that covers several counties of the Texas Panhandle and the cities of Abilene and Lubbock and serves as a senior member on the Agriculture Committee. He describes last week's farm bill vote as a "first down, not a touchdown" as the measure hopefully heads to conference on at least the commodity title.

Randy Neugebauer

Roger Johnson is president of the National Farmers Union. and a past Commissioner of Agriculture in North Dakota. NFU, as an organization, has shown an affinity toward small farmers and democratic party views, however In this year's farm and immigration debates, they are in step with a broad coalition of farm and labor organizations who want passage of bills that can be put into law. Johnson is frustrated with the U.S. House of Representatives and their inability to compromise on issues like the farm bill and discusses why passage is stalled in the House.

Roger Johnson