On Iowa Press, the candidates for Iowa’s next secretary of agriculture disagreed on policies related to ethanol and the state’s approach to reducing nutrient pollution. But incumbent Republican Mike Naig and Democrat Chris Jones both support more grass-fed cattle in Iowa.
Naig is seeking a third term to lead the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and has served in the role since 2018, following nearly five years as deputy secretary. Jones is a retired research scientist and author of The Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality.
Candidates support more grazing cattle, not beef imports
The national cattle herd has fallen seven consecutive years and hit a 75-year low in January, in part due to widespread drought in the American West. While the lean numbers have pushed up prices for consumers, it’s been a bright spot for cattle producers during a tough farm economy.
The candidates were asked about President Donald Trump’s plan to increase beef imports below market price.
“It's one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard of,” Jones said. “Let's make Iowa the grass-fed state. We could do that.”
Naig also called Trump’s plan a “bad idea” and sees opportunity to increase grazing in Iowa.
“If the beef herd is going to expand in this country, it's going to happen in places east of the Missouri [River],” Naig said. “If it's going to happen in Iowa, then we need to look at creating more pasture … and then creating certainty in the marketplace that allows somebody to make the investment over the couple years that it takes to see the payback on that.”
Naig said expanding the state’s Cattle and Conservation Working Lands program, which provides funding to convert marginal row-crop acres to pasture, can help, along with the Choose Iowa program and its grants for small-scale meat processors.
Addressing Iowa's water quality issues
Naig said the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), local soil and water conservation districts and partners across the state to implement the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy and improve water quality.
“I'm proud of the work that we've done,” Naig said. “We've set records for conservation adoption in the last five years, and we're poised for the ability to go further, take the next steps, scale up and accelerate our progress across the state.”
Jones has called his campaign a referendum on water quality in Iowa.
“I think the condition of our water here is the biggest failure of our state government in the history of the state,” Jones said.
Jones pointed to beaches with high E. coli levels and drinking water with elevated nitrate concentrations, which have been associated with certain cancers. He said cities often have more “capacity to cope with this problem.”
“If you live in a small town of 2,000 people and your well gets contaminated with nitrate and you need a new well or a new treatment plant, that's a burden,” Jones said.
Naig said the bipartisan Farm to Faucet legislative package signed into law earlier this year is a good example of what can be accomplished to address water quality issues.
The package is expected to drive nearly $320 million over the next 12 years for water quality monitoring, water treatment plant upgrades and conservation practices to reduce nutrient runoff in targeted watersheds. It does not include direct funding for a network of river sensors operated by the University of Iowa, which Jones helped develop.
Divided on the future of ethanol
The candidates also expressed starkly different views on ethanol.
Jones said corn-based fuel has “entrenched” a farming system that contributes to water pollution and called ethanol an environmental and economic dead end. He said it’s time for the state to strategize a way forward without this market.
Naig described ethanol as value-added agriculture.
“We're spinning off important feed ingredients for livestock producers, corn oil,” Naig said, adding that it contributes thousands of jobs and $5 billion to the state’s economy.
Naig said ethanol manufacturers continue to see opportunities with markets that want fuel with lower carbon emissions.
When asked whether Summit Carbon Solutions can build its proposed pipeline without eminent domain, Naig said, “I believe that's how it's going to get done, if it's going to get done.”
The Ames-based company wants to capture carbon dioxide emissions from ethanol plants and transport it through a network of pipes to be stored deep underground or used for industrial purposes. The project faces legal and regulatory hurdles and strong opposition from many landowners.
“Iowans have been very clear about that they don't want the pipeline built using eminent domain, and we need to look at strengthening private property rights when it comes to the use of eminent domain,” Naig said. “But I will say this, you've got expansion being announced or being talked about in the ethanol industry, and it's not happening in Iowa.”
Jones is strongly opposed to the proposed pipeline and the 45Q federal tax credit, which has incentivized the project to move forward.
Under the Biden administration, 45Q was designed to pay facilities $85 per metric ton of carbon dioxide captured and stored or $60 per ton when CO2 was used for enhanced oil recovery or other purposes. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the dollar amount for using CO2 on par with sequestration.
“This is not a climate change solution,” Jones said. “The CO2 is going to be used to scavenge recalcitrant oil out of these oil wells.”
Early voting in Iowa begins Oct. 14. Election Day is Nov. 3.
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The program on 'Iowa Press' is available online. It will broadcast Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4 at noon on Iowa PBS. The program will also be broadcast on Iowa PBS WORLD on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 8:30 a.m.
