posted on Thursday, August 14, 2025 in AMVC Employee Blog
Carrying Our Voice to Capitol Hill: Reflections from the Iowa Pork Leadership Academy By Macie Reeb, AMVC Associate Swine Nutritionist
Earlier this month, I had the tremendous honor of traveling to Washington, D.C. as part of the Iowa Pork Leadership Academy. This trip was more than a leadership experience — it was a front-row seat to the policy conversations that shape the future of American pork production.
Alongside a group of passionate pork advocates, we met with representatives from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Iowa’s entire Congressional Delegation — including Senator Chuck Grassley, Senator Joni Ernst, Congressman Randy Feenstra, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, Congressman Zach Nunn, and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks.
These weren’t just photo ops or routine meetings. They were detailed, honest conversations about the complex realities facing Iowa’s pork producers and the national industry:
- Proposition 12 and its unintended consequences beyond California’s borders
- Retaliatory tariffs and the growing need to protect and expand trade access
- Foreign animal disease preparedness, a topic that looms over every producer’s mind
- The MAHA Commission Report, and ensuring pork producers have a seat at the table in shaping national health strategies
- The ongoing need for farmer voices in policy development, especially as regulations evolve
I was struck by how receptive and engaged our lawmakers were. These discussions reinforced something we often forget in agriculture: our voices matter in Washington. When we show up informed, united, and respectful, policymakers listen.
This experience also reaffirmed why I chose to work in this industry. The pork sector is resilient, but it’s also at a crossroads. Whether we’re discussing market access, consumer preferences, animal health, or sustainability, the decisions made in D.C. ripple back to farms across the country.
As a young professional, I left Capitol Hill with a deeper commitment to advocacy. The future of pork production doesn’t rest on one person or one organization — it’s a collective effort. And that future depends on producers, scientists, students, and stakeholders alike continuing to raise their voices and lean into leadership opportunities like this.
To anyone in the industry who wonders if your voice can make a difference: it can. It does.
Let’s keep showing up. mreeb@amvcms.com
Source: swineweb
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