Farmers Give Ag Update to Congressman
Published: Friday, September 25, 2026
Congressman Frank Mrvan (D-1st) hosted an agriculture council meeting with Lake, Porter and LaPorte county farmers on Sept. 11 in Valparaiso, discussing the farm economy, disaster relief challenges and agricultural stressors on the farm. The meeting included farmers, Extension professionals, Indiana Farm Bureau leadership and members of the area Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
The council aided Mrvan in focusing on a direction in advocating for agricultural policies in Washington, D.C. Following the meeting, he pledged to look into agricultural insurance, emergency energy regulations and H-2A.
Jody Herr reported a complete loss of his tomato crop and 50% of his overall production on his 100-acre vegetable farm in Lowell following the storms on Aug. 11.
The biggest hit came when the insurance adjuster reported that hail coverage for tomatoes ended just 10 days before on Aug. 1.
"I called my agent and asked, 'Did you know this?'"
After some research, Herr's agent reported that this policy is based on the federal standards for hail protection, but it is not well communicated in insurance policies.
Nicole Witkowski of Porter County Extension added that all tomato crops, commercial or private, were having a tough season.
Frieda Graves of Faith Farms in Gary also experienced challenges in responding to and recovering from the Aug. 11 storms. The organization invested in solar power, only to be restricted from using it at its full capacity during relief efforts.
"We were only allowed to stay on for 12 hours a day. NIPSCO restricted it. We could have helped people 24 hours a day," she said.
Mrvan promised to inquire on her behalf. The restrictions may have been due to policies set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Farmers also discussed the recent court ruling on H-2A (United Farm Workers v. U.S. Department of Labor). Brantley Seifers of the Indiana Farm Bureau said farmers need affordability and consistency, which are both uncertain at this time.
"We could have an adverse effect wage rate within a month or a year. No one knows exactly when. We need to cauterize this," he said.
Area farmers agreed, stating there are not enough people locally who are willing to do the work, emphasizing their need for a solid labor force.
Across the board, farmers are feeling some disdain and disconnection from consumers.
Matt Hayden, of Hebron, raises corn and beans in Lake and Starke counties.
"We can't set our grain prices. We're at the bottom of the barrel," he said. "But at some level, consumers will blame farmers when food costs rise due to diesel."
Mark Parkman, a beef farmer in LaPorte, said there is a similar experience in the beef industry, as farmers are taking flak for high retail beef prices.
"If you have a cow, it takes two years to make it profitable," Hayden said.
"And three years to make a buck," Parkman added.
Farmers also reported being accused of poisoning the soil when applying pesticides.
"We eat those products we produce," Hayden said. "We're not out here to damage the world. We're out here trying to feed the world."
The farmers noted a steep lack of education among consumers about agriculture and food systems and requested Mrvan help bring a focus to that.
Following the discussion, Mrvan asked farmers specifically about their opinions on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and what changes they were looking to see.
Herr said there needs to be an improvement on fair trade, as imports of peppers can cut into his profits when jalapeños are in season in Indiana.
"They can import them in cheaper than I can grow them," he said. "When we're in season, we don't need that import."
Other farmers agreed, noting key trade aspects within North America include corn, beans and meat byproducts traded to Mexico, and potash imported from Canada.
Farmers requested adjustments to allow trade in those areas to continue while restricting trade of products to Indiana that are in season.
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