Farmers Union Encouraged by American Jobs Plan

Apr 07, 2021

President Joe Biden today unveiled a blueprint to “create millions of good jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to out-compete China.”

Known as the American Jobs Plan, the proposal outlines a $2.25 trillion investment over eight years to repair our roads, bridges, and dams; modernize public transit and airports; expand broadband access; ensure safe drinking water in all communities; upgrade housing, businesses, schools, hospitals, and other buildings; and build resilience to climate change. To offset the cost, the plan would also amend the corporate tax code.

Though strengthening rural infrastructure has long been a priority for National Farmers Union (NFU), the issue has become a particular concern as the pandemic and climate change-related events have further stressed our systems and revealed deficiencies. In a statement, NFU President Rob Larew expressed encouragement about the plan:

“After decades of neglect, our nation’s infrastructure is barely holding together – a fact that has become especially apparent after the pandemic and extreme weather events disrupted the food supply chain, energy production, and other critical services. As the climate continues to change, our systems will inevitably be strained in other ways they are in no way prepared for.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.