A farm bill debate can feel a long way from the fuel tank, fertilizer tender, or grain elevator. For Sam Kieffer, those connections are exactly what elected officials need to understand. On this episode of Wheat’s On Your Mind, host Aaron Harries and Kansas Wheat CEO Justin Gilpin talk with the National Association of Wheat Growers CEO about the economic pressures facing wheat farmers and how growers can help shape the policies affecting their operations. Kieffer also shares his roots on a Pennsylvania grain and cattle farm, his military service, and the agricultural advocacy career that brought him to NAWG.
Recorded September 30, 2026, the conversation examines Kieffer’s outlook on completing a farm bill and the challenges of securing bipartisan support. He explains how NAWG works alongside U.S. Wheat Associates, the National Wheat Foundation, and the Wheat Foods Council to support growers through policy, market development, and education. The discussion also connects Kansas cropping systems and biofuel demand with the broader challenge of making wheat profitable enough for farmers to keep investing.
Research is another important part of that equation. Kieffer and Gilpin discuss the role of land-grant universities, wheat breeding, and sustained research funding in addressing regional production challenges. Kieffer closes with a practical suggestion for farmers meeting with lawmakers: bring actual fuel and fertilizer receipts alongside crop contracts. Clear numbers, honest conversations, and relationships across party lines can help explain what policy uncertainty means back home.
