By EMMA HOPKINS-O’BRIEN

Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Farmers at the July 30 Indiana Corn Marketing Council/Indiana Soybean Alliance Ag Policy Summit heard from U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski and others on the state of ag policy affecting the state and nation.

With a number of concerns looming for Indiana agriculture, including the trade war, EPA refinery waivers discouraging ethanol demand, and labor issues, producers were especially eager for insight to the thoughts of policymakers.

The summit also featured an update from the state director of Broadband Opportunities, Scott Rudd. “What are communities doing to attract broadband investment to their counties, is a question I get asked all the time,” he noted.

The status of broadband internet access in rural Indiana has the future of the state’s agriculture, in some ways, hinging upon it. From advanced technology in the fields that require internet access to job opportunities for family members wishing to stay on the farm, broadband has the potential to influence agriculture in a big way.

Rudd said there has been headway, but significant challenges remain. “There’s never been a better time to invest in broadband in our state, due to there being literally billions of dollars available for the very first time. Governor (Eric) Holcomb announced last fall a $100 million Next Level broadband grant program.

“There are resources now that have never been available before. But it’s going to take each and every one of us to move the needle.”

Last week, Holcomb announced $22.1 million in funding for 11 broadband infrastructure projects across the state as part of Next Level. The funding will expand service to more than 4,800 homes and commercial locations in 12 counties. Adding to this state funding is $14 million in matching funds from seven telecommunications providers and utility co-ops.

More information about Next Level Broadband is available at www.in.gov/ocra/nlc.htm

New legislation such as the “Fiber Act” in Indiana has recently passed, which makes it easier for rural electrical membership corporations, or REMCs, to participate in the broadband effort. Rudd knows of several that are either in the middle of an investment or that are planning to make investment.

He said significant local engagement on the county level is extremely important for broadband progress.

“In the past year we’ve seen a deepening connection with local counties, cities, and towns in taking specific actions to improve their situation,” he said. “Form a task force, offer incentives. Communities want to send the message to providers that ‘we are open for business and we are creating an investment climate that is friendly in our community’ – and that is important.”

According to 2017 data, St. Joseph, Marshall, and Fulton counties have the highest percentage of broadband access among residents, at near 100 percent, while Crawford County has 0.1 percent and Benton County has a little over 17 percent.

Rudd said counties with such low levels of broadband access are also receiving unequal quality of education and health care, and have huge problems selling their houses and properties.

“If you have a problem in your community to attract a certain type of investment, pick up the phone and call my office,” he said. “I want to hear about these things, because if there’s something stopping you from being successful, I want to work actively on your behalf to change that.”

International update

Walorski, an Indiana Republican, discussed a host of issues important to the state that she has encountered on the House Ag Committee – chief among those is the trade war amid the Trump administration’s tariffs intended to reign in what it calls China’s corrupt trade practices. The tariffs have hit the nation’s agriculture industry by cutting off China’s demand for American products – including soybeans, a demand now being filled by other countries such as Brazil.

In the meantime, a trade agreement among the United States, Mexico, and Canada awaits a vote Walorski believes will receive approval on the House floor. “It’s going to pass with major support on both sides,” she said. “I would encourage everyone in the next few weeks to just send a very polite message to Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi asking her to please bring USMCA to the floor.”

To combat the loss of Chinese demand, Walorski said trade missions to smaller countries such as Japan are producing trade relations and agreements. At the end of the day, she said it comes down to national security, and she will continue to pass on the message that the void from Chinese demand loss must be filled.

“We want more nations under our umbrella than what China is trying to collect at the moment,” she explained. “Trade can definitely incentivize those relationships, but I hear you loud and clear, and I will definitely deliver the message.”

Many farmers continue to express concern over waivers the EPA is granting to oil refineries on renewable fuel blending. Walorski said she is willing to address this on agriculture’s behalf.

“If we need to fire off a letter on slowing these waivers, having a second look at them – whatever we need to do to make sure corn crops and the farmers are honored – there is a balance in there,” she said. “Obviously the President weighs in there at some point, but I definitely volunteer whatever we need to continue to try to bring that balance to light.”

The issue of labor as it relates to national immigration policy concluded Walorski’s talk. “We have a humanitarian crisis at the border, and I can tell you that this is going to come down again to where the nation stands, who the speaker of the House is, and who the president is,” she said. “There seems to be a political football between Speaker Pelosi and President Trump.”

She urges farmers and anyone else concerned about ag issues to contact Pelosi’s office and the White House in order to move things along – however, she said it doesn’t seem likely the political hype surrounding Washington, D.C., will cool anytime soon.

“Unfortunately when we go back in September into that D.C., climate, we are probably all in for a rude awakening on where these things and the 2020 election is going, and the kind of crazy stuff that comes out of that level. You are seeing politics play out on a grand stage, unfortunately.”