While there’s a lot of focus and money being spent on the midterms fast approaching in November, experienced and well-connected politicians on both sides of the aisle are already jockeying for the 2028 presidential race. In the last few months, we’ve seen Vice President J.D. Vance, Sen. Ted Cruz, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg all visit Iowa, and that’s before county and state fair season.

To all of those folks, I have a simple message to help those of us who live in and around farm country: Grow America!

When you think of Iowa, you probably think of agriculture. After all, about 85% of the state’s land is dedicated to farming. The crazy thing is that 90% of the food Iowans eat is shipped in from outside the state. Nationally, we’re importing more beef, vegetables and fruit than we ever have. The U.S. food and agricultural trade deficit reached an unprecedented $49.5 billion in 2025—the largest on record. That means last year we imported $49.5 billion more in food and other agriculture products than we exported to the world.