Juana Summers

In North Dakota, where one in five jobs are tied to agriculture, more than 67 percent of the electorate voted for Trump. But consider this. So far, the Trump administration's agriculture policy and its signature economic policy have resulted in a condition that farmers try to avoid. Uncertainty. From NPR, I'm Juana Summers.

In North Dakota, where one in five jobs are tied to agriculture, more than 67 percent of the electorate voted for Trump. But consider this. So far, the Trump administration's agriculture policy and its signature economic policy have resulted in a condition that farmers try to avoid. Uncertainty. From NPR, I'm Juana Summers.

It's Consider This from NPR. Farmers already worry about crop prices, the cost of farm supplies and extreme weather. Now the federal government is another big question mark. President Trump's trade war will shape where farmers can sell their crops. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture has paused reimbursements, cut programs and attempted to lay off staff.

It's Consider This from NPR. Farmers already worry about crop prices, the cost of farm supplies and extreme weather. Now the federal government is another big question mark. President Trump's trade war will shape where farmers can sell their crops. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture has paused reimbursements, cut programs and attempted to lay off staff.

It's Consider This from NPR. Farmers already worry about crop prices, the cost of farm supplies and extreme weather. Now the federal government is another big question mark. President Trump's trade war will shape where farmers can sell their crops. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture has paused reimbursements, cut programs and attempted to lay off staff.

We wanted to know more about the relationship between farmers and the federal government. So this week we called on Ann Veneman. She was President George W. Bush's Secretary of Agriculture. My co-host Ari Shapiro takes it from here.

We wanted to know more about the relationship between farmers and the federal government. So this week we called on Ann Veneman. She was President George W. Bush's Secretary of Agriculture. My co-host Ari Shapiro takes it from here.

We wanted to know more about the relationship between farmers and the federal government. So this week we called on Ann Veneman. She was President George W. Bush's Secretary of Agriculture. My co-host Ari Shapiro takes it from here.

That's Anne Veneman, who was Secretary of Agriculture under President George W. Bush, speaking with our co-host Ari Shapiro. We heard Secretary Veneman describe farming as an uncertain business. Uncertainty is also on the minds of economists at the Federal Reserve System, the country's central bank.

That's Anne Veneman, who was Secretary of Agriculture under President George W. Bush, speaking with our co-host Ari Shapiro. We heard Secretary Veneman describe farming as an uncertain business. Uncertainty is also on the minds of economists at the Federal Reserve System, the country's central bank.

That's Anne Veneman, who was Secretary of Agriculture under President George W. Bush, speaking with our co-host Ari Shapiro. We heard Secretary Veneman describe farming as an uncertain business. Uncertainty is also on the minds of economists at the Federal Reserve System, the country's central bank.

The 12 regional banks that make up the Fed regularly study their local economies, very much including agricultural industries, and they publish their findings in a document called the Beige Book. And throughout the latest edition, there's that word again, uncertainty. Robert Smith and Waylon Wong of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money have our Beige Book report.

The 12 regional banks that make up the Fed regularly study their local economies, very much including agricultural industries, and they publish their findings in a document called the Beige Book. And throughout the latest edition, there's that word again, uncertainty. Robert Smith and Waylon Wong of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money have our Beige Book report.

The 12 regional banks that make up the Fed regularly study their local economies, very much including agricultural industries, and they publish their findings in a document called the Beige Book. And throughout the latest edition, there's that word again, uncertainty. Robert Smith and Waylon Wong of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money have our Beige Book report.

This episode was produced by Michelle Aslam, Connor Donovan, and Mia Venkat. It was edited by Patrick Jaron Watanonan and Nadia Lancey, with help from NPR's Kirk Sigler and Eric Whitney. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Juana Summers.

This episode was produced by Michelle Aslam, Connor Donovan, and Mia Venkat. It was edited by Patrick Jaron Watanonan and Nadia Lancey, with help from NPR's Kirk Sigler and Eric Whitney. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Juana Summers.

This episode was produced by Michelle Aslam, Connor Donovan, and Mia Venkat. It was edited by Patrick Jaron Watanonan and Nadia Lancey, with help from NPR's Kirk Sigler and Eric Whitney. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Juana Summers.

Like a lot of economists, Mark Zandi with Moody's Analytics thinks President Trump's across-the-board tariffs are a bad idea.

Like a lot of economists, Mark Zandi with Moody's Analytics thinks President Trump's across-the-board tariffs are a bad idea.

Like a lot of economists, Mark Zandi with Moody's Analytics thinks President Trump's across-the-board tariffs are a bad idea.