Saving Small Farms, with Rep. Angie Craig

Farm country has been waiting on a new farm bill for almost two years. Angie Craig, the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee and a Minnesota congresswoman now running for the state's open Senate seat, joins Heidi and Joel to talk about what's holding it up, what tariffs have cost rural families, and why farm bankruptcies are becoming as much a security question as an economic one.Angie covers the imbalance that lets large agribusiness thrive while beginning farmers struggle to get a foothold, what immigration enforcement means for rural communities, and where she thinks the next farm bill needs to go if it's going to help anyone outside the biggest operations.In this episode:The status of the farm bill and what it means for small and beginning farmersThe impact of trade tariffs on U.S. agricultureRising farm bankruptcies and farm suicidesRebuilding trust and economic resilience in rural communitiesPolitical dynamics in Congress between Republican and Democratic membersElection timing and Minnesota's primary processICE reform and immigration policy's effect on rural laborResources & Links:Angie Craig Official WebsiteConnect with Angie Craig:InstagramFacebookTwitterCongresswoman Craig makes a solid case for where Washington has failed rural America, and where it goes from here. The Hot Dish is brought to you by the One Country Project. To learn more, visit OneCountryProject.org, or find us on Substack (Onecountryproject.substack.com), and on YouTube, Bluesky, and Facebook (@onecountryproject). (00:00) - - Introduction: Craig's district and rural policy focus (00:34) - - Farm bill negotiations with Republicans (03:25) - - Family farmers and rising bankruptcies (05:40) - - Structuring a farm bill for small and beginning farmers (09:43) - - Tariffs, trade wars, and international markets (14:06) - - Policy decisions and rural mental health (16:02) - - Immigration enforcement and its effect on communities (18:22) - - Winning rural voters and rebuilding trust (24:06) - - Immigration reform: farm labor and DACA recipients (30:50) - - Bipartisanship and election timing (35:22) - - Craig's campaign goals and vision for Minnesota