Friday, U.S. Farm Report and AgriTalk Live broadcasted in front of the VOSS Model Sculpture with agricultural economics experts from Purdue, a gathering of luminaries.
U.S. Farm Report’s panel of Purdue guests included Agricultural Economics Department head and distinguished professor Jayson Lusk; professor and director of the Center for Commercial Agriculture Jim Mintert; and professor Wally Tyner. The conversation led the experts to topics such as tariffs, the Ag Economy Barometer, soybeans, and African swine fever. The open taping allowed students, staff, and fans who braved the cold, to meet with the experts following the taping.
The episode also focused on Purdue’s sesquicentennial. President Mitch Daniels, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Diversity Jay Akridge, and the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture Karen Plaut shared their thoughts on the 150th birthday of the university and how the College of Agriculture is a major factor in the university's continued success.
“It’s a really exciting time to be in agriculture,” said Plaut. “We continue to evolve. Right now, with the data revolution, the potential for agriculture for the future is really, really great.”
On AgriTalk Live, Mintert joined Associate Dean and Director of Purdue Extension Jason Henderson and agricultural economics professor Michael Langemeier. Tyner and agricultural economics professor Brady Brewer participated in the day’s final show, AgriTalk After the Bell.
U.S. Farm Report first aired on television in 1975. Though the show and its host, Tyne Morgan, are based in South Bend, the show is broadcast across the country. Every week, more than 150 stations share an audience of over half a million viewers.
With such a wide audience, Daniels took the opportunity to share how he aims for Purdue to be seen as a place of "free and open inquiry, where a diversity of viewpoints is not only welcome but insisted on.”
The filming marked the final stop for the U.S. Farm Report College Roadshow. The other tour stops were Texas Tech, the University of Missouri, and Iowa State.
Episodes of U.S. Farm Report, AgriTalk Live, and AgriTalk After the Bell can be found below.