Rural Infrastructure & Ag Economy Panel during #RuralSummit. From left to right: Amanda De Jong, Stuart Anderson, Mike Steenhoek, Doug Boone, Bob Fox, and Sara Wyant.
The Rural Infrastructure Summit provided a great arena to begin the discussion on how the U.S. is going to connect ag commodities to future markets. The needed infrastructure includes a wide-array of areas including broadband, waterways, the electric grid, transportation infrastructure, and more. In the words of Leif Magnusson, Association of Equipment Manufacturers Chair, during his opening remarks, one reason everyone was at the Summit was to “discuss ways to innovate through and around challenges as an ag community.”
This discussion was borne out during the first panel discussion, “Rural Infrastructure and the Ag Economy: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” moderated by Sara Wyant, editor of Agri-Pulse. Panelists included:
- Bob Fox, Vice Chair, Ag and Rural Affairs Steering Committee, National Association of Counties, and Commissioner, Renville County, Minnesota
- Doug Boone, President, The Rural Broadband Association, and CEO, Premier Communications, Sioux Center, Iowa
- Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director, Soy Transportation Coalition
- Stuart Anderson, Iowa DOT, Director of Planning, Programming and Modal Division
- Amanda De Jong, Senior Policy Advisor, Iowa Corn Growers Association
Listen to the each of the panelist’s thoughts on the Good, the Bad and the Ugly here: Rural Infrastructure & Ag Economy Panelist Remarks