Talking Agriculture, Trade Policy And Its Impact On The Midwest

Feb 18, 2026

By Wayne Rowe

Marion’s community lecture series Buckeye Talks on Tap welcomes the community to a free public event at Bucci’s Italian Scratch Kitchen inside Passenger and Rail Co. in downtown Marion for a Tuesday, March 3, 5:30 p.m. lecture series event titled, “Agriculture Trade & Policy: The Outlook for Midwest Grain Markets” with featured presenter Dr. Ian Sheldon.

Dr. Sheldon is an Ohio State Professor and Andersons Chair of Agricultural Marketing, Trade and Policy. He will begin his talk with an evaluation of how U.S. implementation of across-the-board tariffs has affected the grain and oilseeds sector in the Midwest. Specifically, it will be shown that retaliation by China has had a significant impact on farm exports, notably of soybeans, and at the same time farmers are facing higher input costs. Given this environment, the talk will evaluate prospects for exports, focusing on market potential beyond China. In addition, the importance of maintaining Mexico and Canada as key trading partners will be outlined in light of the upcoming review of the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement (USMCA).

Dr. Sheldon's primary research interests are in analyzing international trade and policy. Recent projects include examination of the interaction between trade and environmental policies; analysis of the effects of exchange rate volatility on international trade flows; examination of the effects of policy on trade in ethanol; and analysis of China’s exchange rate policies. He is currently working on issues related to carbon tariffs, and the impact of intellectual property rights on US seed exports. Dr. Sheldon has recently completed a term as Chair of the International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium and also served as Featured Articles Editor of Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy from 2010 to 2013, and he was elected as a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association in 2019. Dr. Sheldon serves as Ohio State's Andersons Chair of Agricultural Marketing, Trade and Policy. In this role, he oversees the Andersons program, which focuses on research and outreach in the area of international trade and public policy.

Source : osu.edu

Video: Evidence-Based PRRS Elimination Methods - Dr. Brent Pepin

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show, Dr. Brent Pepin, Director of Swine Health at the National Pork Board, explains how a systematic review of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus elimination methods is helping shape future herd health strategies. He discusses evidence-based farm and regional approaches, research gaps, and practical guidance to support informed decision-making across the swine industry. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to learn more: https://porkcheckoff.org/research/sys...

"Disease status sharing gives producers the opportunity to make real-time decisions that reduce PRRS prevalence and protect regions from new exposure."

Meet the guest: Dr. Brent Pepin / brent-pepin-dvm-ms-7988066b is Director of Swine Health at the National Pork Board. After earning his DVM and M.S. from Iowa State University, he built extensive experience in swine veterinary practice, research, and herd health management. His current work focuses on disease control, traceability, and improving herd health across the U.S. swine industry. Listen to Brent Pepin on The Swine it Podcast Show, available on all major platforms.