ICYMI: Josh Turek Warns of “Farmageddon,” Calls Out Ashley Hinson For Failure to Protect Iowa’s Farmers

Turek, joined by fifth-generation farmer Dave Muhlbauer, highlighted federal policies that are decimating Iowa’s rural communities

Council Bluffs, IA – Yesterday, Iowa State Representative and four-time Paralympian Josh Turek held a press call highlighting Ashley Hinson’s failure to advocate for Iowa farmers. After chaotic tariffs have led China to stop purchasing American soybeans in favor of Argentina’s, the multi-billion dollar bailout to Argentina, and the new deal to buy four times more beef from Argentina, Iowa farmers are hurting.

While Rep. Ashley Hinson says Iowa farmers are experiencing “tough market conditions,” and “it will take time,” Josh Turek is actually advocating for farmers.

“Our Iowa farmers are the very, very best in the world, and what they need is they need markets, they don’t need subsidies,” said Turek. “And this issue that they’re seeing with commodities prices is directly due to the chaotic nature of these tariffs.”

“These markets have been horrendous for us. We’re producing our products under break-evens. Soybeans especially, it’s been a gut punch to farmers,” said fifth-generation farmer and Crawford County Supervisor Dave Muhlbauer. “Then all of a sudden, now we’re adding beef into that equation, talk about another gut punch. I mean, the one bright spot in agriculture was our beef production and now that’s fallen as well.”

Turek and Muhlbauer both pointed to Mandatory Country of Original Labeling (MCOOL) as a policy that would benefit farmers and boost Iowa’s agriculture industry. So far, Hinson has failed to support MCOOL.

While Josh Turek was visiting Dave Muhlbauer’s cattle farm last week, Hinson was rubbing shoulders with Big Pharma executives and lobbyists at a D.C. fundraiser.

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KCCI: U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek opposes importing beef from Argentina

“It’s vitally important that along with looking at driving down costs, we’re also making sure we’re protecting our farmers and our suppliers.”

KCRG: ‘Farmageddon’: Iowa farmers fear crisis with new foreign beef import plan

“It is due to these chaotic tariffs that we’re seeing our farmers have an inability to make a living for themselves. They want markets, not handouts.”

Iowa News Now: Iowa Senate candidate Josh Turek criticizes federal trade policies affecting local farmers

“We need intelligent, thoughtful strategic tariff policies and implementation policies, this is both at the local and the state and the federal level to be able to address this. But again, driving down costs because everyone is hurting at the grocery store, but not at the expense of our Iowa farmers and our beef producers.”

Council Bluffs Nonpareil: Senate candidate Josh Turek highlights impacts of tariffs, trade policy on farmers

“We need to be passing a farm bill, which has now been seven years, where we’re two years over passing a farm bill. We need fair tariff situations. So again, so that our farmers can actually have markets in this. They don’t need subsidies. It doesn’t matter how much subsidies you dump into this. Our farmers need markets, particularly when it comes to soybeans.”

The Des Moines Register: Democratic US Senate hopeful Josh Turek warns of ‘farmageddon’ driven by ‘chaotic’ tariffs

“We put these labels on any other thing. And we should certainly have it on our food because I believe that American consumers would certainly want to go out of their way to buy from America and support our American farmers.”