Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Dave Muhlbauer says expanding grazing opportunities, supporting conservation practices, and directing more state resources toward rural communities could help Iowa farmers facing a difficult farm economy.
Muhlbauer, a fifth-generation family farmer and Crawford County supervisor running alongside gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, outlined several of the campaign’s agriculture proposals during an interview on Sioux County Radio’s The Daily Grind, recorded September 22nd.
His family operation includes corn, soybeans, alfalfa, cover crops, hogs, and cattle. Muhlbauer said that experience gives him a firsthand understanding of the financial pressures facing producers.
Proposed Office Would Focus on Rural Prosperity
Muhlbauer highlighted a proposed Office of Rural Prosperity as part of the campaign’s plans to support agriculture and rural economic development.
He said the office would use state resources to work directly with local governments, help beginning farmers identify additional sources of revenue, and support economic development in rural communities.
The proposal, he said, reflects the need to help producers find opportunities while recognizing the demands already placed on them.
“We talk about making the farm work smarter because we know that farmers work as hard as they can and they have, you know, their plates are full.”
Muhlbauer said agriculture would be one of his priorities as lieutenant governor. He described visiting with a producer in Sanborn about rotational grazing, local meat processing, and selling farm products directly to consumers.
Expanding Grazing and Conservation Opportunities
Muhlbauer also pointed to proposals in the campaign’s Healthier Iowa for All plan that he said could benefit both agriculture and water quality.
One would help expand grazing on marginal or highly erodible farmland, creating additional opportunities for cattle production and beginning farmers.
“If we can take marginal ground and help expand that for grazing, for beginning farmers and farmers in general, and have our cow herd right here and improve our water quality at the same time, that’s a win-win.”
Muhlbauer said the campaign also supports expanding wetlands, including allowing landowners to convert ground that repeatedly floods.
Other proposals would encourage additional conservation practices through financial incentives.
“We talk about in our plan of expanding buffer strips and cover crops and things like that through tax credits that we know help.”
Muhlbauer said he uses cover crops on his own farm, where they complement the family’s cow-calf operation. At the time of the interview, he said the family had recently drilled cover crops after chopping silage.
He emphasized that farmers need dependable support to make those practices part of their operations. He said programs that are available one year but uncertain the next make planning more difficult.
“It’s hard to jump in and out of these programs when you don’t know if they’re going to be available or not.”
Muhlbauer said the goal is to make conservation programs reliable tools that farmers can use to support their operations while improving water quality.
More from the Interview
Muhlbauer also discussed his family’s farming and public service background, strengthening communication between state and local government, supporting public education, and ensuring accountability for public money used for private school tuition assistance.
He also discussed working across party lines, drawing on his experience as the only Democrat serving alongside four Republicans on the Crawford County Board of Supervisors.
