News & Views With Joel Heitkamp

04/17/25: Joel Heitkamp is joined by the former Governor and Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, for a conversation on the status of the Farm Bill, how the tariffs impact our ag economy, trade agreements with other countries, and more.  In 1998, Mr. Vilsack became the first Democrat to be elected as the Governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. He became the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025, respectively. Only five people in U.S. history have served in the Cabinet longer, and during his tenures, the United States Department of Agriculture set records for U.S. agricultural exports and provided food assistance to millions of Americans. He now serves as the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack will focus on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public s