Truth in the Barrel: Devil's Cut | Just Ask A Farmer
Podcast Episode Summary – November 4, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode of Truth in the Barrel, hosts Amy McGrath and Denver Riggleman (though Denver is absent for this conversation) sit down with Kentucky soybean farmer Jim Wade. Against the backdrop of ongoing U.S.–China trade tensions and the latest tariffs, the conversation delves into the realities faced by American farmers, the decline of small family farms, and the compounding effects of government policy, weather, and market upheaval. The discussion also touches on healthcare access, the impact of immigration on agriculture, and what lawmakers and citizens should understand about rural life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Crisis in Farming ([00:00])

• Amy opens by highlighting the severity of the trade war between the U.S. and China, noting the devastating impact on American soybean exports.
  • "America's soybean farmers are stuck in the middle of a trade war... China has not purchased a single dollar’s worth [of soybeans], cutting off the country that makes up about half of soybean exports." – Amy [00:16]

2. Jim Wade’s Perspective: Life on a Kentucky Farm

• Jim's farm evolved from tobacco to soybeans, corn, and wheat ([00:59])
  • Managed by Jim and his sister, plus four employees, covering 800 acres.
  • This year highlighted as particularly tough: "I raised more corn because I was going to lose less money on corn this year than I was on soybeans." – Jim [02:06]

3. Impact of Tariffs ([02:32]–[06:32])

• Immediate reaction to tariffs: "That it was bad, because it was bad before." – Jim [02:38]
• Tariffs don't just impact sales; they raise input costs for farm essentials: "All the things that I had to have... got much more expensive. And it's still doing that." – Jim [03:04]
• The 2025 season marks a historic low: zero sales to China ([03:47])
  • "China cut back and we lost a lot of the market, but we still kept some of it... and this year, like you said earlier, it’s zero." – Jim [03:55]
• Fear of market loss: once lost to Brazil or elsewhere, regaining Chinese buyers is difficult ([05:10])
  • "There's national soybean board that put a lot of effort into that in order to build a market up for us, and now it's gone." – Jim [05:30]

4. Farmer Solidarity and Lawmakers ([05:45])

• General consensus among local farmers: tariffs are destabilizing and threaten the survival of family farms.
  • "Basically, that the tariffs are bad and it's... spoiling the market and putting our farms, all our farms in jeopardy." – Jim [05:53]
• Desire for smarter, more stable policy: "Tariffs have to be done sometimes... but they're not being done correctly now." – Jim [06:12]
  • Chaotic policymaking is frustrating and unpredictable ([06:32]–[07:04])

5. Personal Connection to the Land ([07:08])

• The Wade family has farmed the land for over 260 years; Jim’s attachment is deep and generational.
  • "My sister and I are the ones who are still here and participating in the farming... It’s something I wanted to come back to and do." – Jim [07:16]

6. Decline of Small Family Farms ([07:45])

• Increasing operational scale is necessary for survival; 40-acre farms are nearly extinct.
  • "There are not really any more 40 acre farms that I know of... I outgrew fairly quickly the family farm and I'm renting acreage elsewhere." – Jim [08:39]

7. The Question of Bailouts and Survival ([09:07])

• Discussion on government support and bailouts for farmers hurt by tariffs.
  • "Government has been contributing to farmers as long as I’ve been farming... It’s better that farmers don’t go all go out of business." – Jim [09:56]
• Farm Service Agency offices closed due to the government shutdown; farmers lack places for recourse ([10:25])

8. Health Care and Rural Policy ([10:31])

• Ending of ACA subsidies and Kentucky’s 'Connect' jeopardizes employees’ access to healthcare.
  • "They have taken advantage of those... and if the prices go up the way they're talking about, they're all going to lose their insurance." – Jim [11:18]

9. Rising Costs of Equipment Due to Tariffs ([12:25])

• Tariffs affect the cost of raw materials and replacement parts, even for in-house repairs.
  • "A lot of the basic hardware, the nuts, the bolts, the raw steel... comes from overseas." – Jim [12:25]

10. Message for Lawmakers and the President ([13:09])

• Policies have caused near-total loss of the soybean market with doubt about rebuilding.
  • "It's not all going to come back, even if they come to an agreement... And whether or not it can be rebuilt, it won’t come back the way it was." – Jim [13:23]
• Frustration: farmers aren’t seeing any gain and policy goals are unclear ([13:39]–[14:22])
  • "I'm not getting anything out of it." – Jim [13:45]

11. Economic Ripple Effect and Kentucky’s Trade Dependence ([15:43])

• Kentucky is uniquely susceptible to trade disruptions due to agriculture, aerospace, auto, and bourbon industries.
  • "In Kentucky, we have the second highest per capita dependency on international trade in the country." – Amy [15:43]

12. Immigration and Labor ([16:31])

• Former reliance on immigrant labor for tobacco; current awareness of its importance in other local sectors.
  • "When I was tobacco farmer, we had a very high dependence on labor from immigrants... They did a good job and are being treated poorly now." – Jim [16:35]/[17:39]

13. Barriers for the Next Generation ([18:03])

• Young people struggle to enter farming without family background or inherited land.
  • "That's true. It's hard to start out. I know people who do know people who have." – Jim [18:36]

14. Health Care as a Barrier ([18:43])

• Healthcare access tied to farm viability; losing ACA subsidies means many will go uninsured ([19:05])
  • "If people can't make it this year, they're going to go out of business and then there’ll be a whole lot of farms, a whole lot of equipment that winds up being sold... and land that will either fall idle or be available for somebody else to pick up." – Jim [19:05]

15. The Beef Market and Policy ([19:44])

• On the President’s push to import Argentinian beef:
  • "Bad idea. I used to be in the beef farming business... it ought to be a market issue and not something that our government is trying to push us into." – Jim [19:44]

16. Evaluating the Current Administration ([20:24])

• Amy asks if there’s anything Republicans are doing well; Jim’s response is blunt:
  • "Not that I can see." – Jim [20:35]
  • Promises of aid and compensation unfulfilled: "They’ve promised me some payments, but I haven’t seen them." – Jim [20:45]
• Closing note: Jim supports Amy’s advocacy ([20:53])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It’s chaotic. And the tariffs coming out of my pocket." – Jim Wade [06:35]
• "I'm not getting anything out of it." – Jim Wade, on the rationale for tariffs [13:45]
• "It’s bad. It’s not going to get better for a long time, and it'll take a significant effort to get us back to where we were." – Jim Wade [14:32]
• "If people can't make it this year, they're going to go out of business and then there’ll be a whole lot of farms, a whole lot of equipment that winds up being sold... and land that will either fall idle or be available for somebody else to pick up." – Jim Wade [19:05]
• "That's why I'm in your court." – Jim Wade, to Amy McGrath [20:53]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:00] – Amy sets up the soybean crisis & introduces Jim Wade
• [02:02] – Jim discusses the shift in crop choice due to the financial impact of tariffs
• [03:47] – Discussion of the scale of lost soybean exports
• [05:10] – The challenge of regaining international markets
• [07:16] – Personal and historical ties to the land
• [09:56] – Reflection on bailouts and government support
• [11:18] – Healthcare realities in rural America
• [12:25] – Tariffs and the cost of farm equipment
• [13:09] – Jim’s message for policymakers
• [16:35] – The essential role of immigrant labor
• [18:36] – Challenges facing new farmers
• [19:44] – Presidential policy on beef imports
• [20:35] – Jim's candid take on current administration and promised aid

Tone & Language

The conversation remains grounded, honest, and direct. Amy displays concern and deep understanding of rural economics, while Jim is candid, practical, and stoic about the challenges, lacing observations with personal and community history. The atmosphere is one of shared frustration, hope for change, and mutual respect. The language is straightforward, rural, and unvarnished, capturing the hardship and pride of family farming.

For listeners seeking a firsthand, unfiltered account of how national policy decisions impact everyday farmers and rural communities, this episode offers essential insight direct from the barn floor.