Indiana farmer at White House for bridge program rollout

WASHINGTON — Farm group leaders frequently note the importance of “having a seat at the table” with government officials to voice concerns and talk policy.

Farmer Tyler Everett, of Lebanon in central Indiana, did one better when he had the ultimate “seat at the table” with President Donald Trump.

Everett, who owns and operates Everett Farms and Seed along with this father, Doug, and Indiana Corn Growers Association vice president, along with seven other farmers from throughout the United States participated in a roundtable discussion with the president as the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program was rolled out Dec. 8.

The FBA Program offers $11 billion in one-time payments to farmers who produce corn, soybeans, wheat, beef, potatoes, rice, sorghum, cotton and other crops. The remaining $1 billion will be reserved for commodities not covered in the FBA Program such as specialty crops and sugar, for example.

How did the invitation to meet with President Trump come about?

Everett: I was fortunate to be able to host Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins at our farm in October and I got to know her. She got to spend some time in our combine. While she drove and I drove, we got to talking and said she’d like to stay in touch with me. She gave me her personal cell number.

Last Wednesday morning, on Dec. 3, I woke up to a text from 3 a.m. and asked if I could be in Washington, D.C., on Monday “for a meeting with my boss?” I said, absolutely, I’ll be there. That was just like, oh, my gosh, is this really happening kind of moment.

So, Sunday night, on Dec. 7, Courtney Kingery, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Corn Growers Association CEO, and I flew to D.C. and on Monday morning we met with the USDA staff and we’re talking about how this day was going to go. After that, we went over to the White House and I had lunch at the Navy Mess with the agriculture secretary and with three other farmers who were personally invited, as well.

That was just before the big stuff went on in the Cabinet Room and had the press in there for the release on the $12 billion of bridge payments. After that, we went into the Oval Office where we got to talk kind of one-on-one a little bit with President Trump and meet him.

How many other farmers were with you then?

Everett: There were eight of us from all over the country, from potato farmers in Pennsylvania to rice farmers in Arkansas and Louisiana, corn and sorghum farmers from Texas and Kansas, and farmers from a couple places in South Dakota. I was the only one from Indiana, and we all had a little bit different background.

What were some of the discussions you had with President Trump and Secretary Rollins? Did they lay out what the proposal was and get feedback?

Everett: On Monday morning, when we were sitting at the USDA office, we sat in the conference room next to the secretary’s office, and they unveiled it to us because until then, it had not been released to anyone. No one knew about it. It was still very hush, hush. We went over our notes and they gave us a bunch of information.

When we were sitting in the USDA conference room, they asked us our thoughts and there were mixed emotions. There was a guy there who said he was worried that it wasn’t enough. He said that the farm bankruptcy rate in some of these states is going up 50% to 75% from what it was last year. He was worried that this was not going to be enough and that hopefully there might be more on the way.

There was also discussions about other policies. There’s a farmer in southern Texas who’s dealing with water problems and the Water Treaty Act with Mexico that’s been here since 1940s. He said Mexico is not holding up their end of the deal. Mexico is not being fair in upholding their end of the deal on the shared water agreement.

President Trump was very adamant that he’d get something done and fixed like ASAP. You could tell he was clearly upset that his farmers were upset and having a hard time, and he didn’t know about it. You could tell he wanted something to change like pronto. (After the meeting, Trump threatened to raise tariffs by 5% on imports if Mexico doesn’t comply with the water agreement.)

It really felt good just seeing that a president had that kind of emotion behind something that was bothering so many farmers in that area.

With the secretary, we talked about all the different policies that are up and coming, whether it’s year-round E15, the Proposition 12 situation in California with pork, and those different things. So, yeah, we did touch on all the big topics going on right now in agriculture.

Looking at the assistance program that was rolled out, what are your thoughts about the need for farmers, will it help, and what would you like to see going forward as this is known as a “bridge” program?

Everett: This is a bridge program from the last administration to the calendar 2026. When I was talking to farmers who were there from Texas, they’re going to be planting corn in 45 days. In 45 days, I’m still looking to spending time with family, trucking grain. Planting is on my mind, but’s its not for another four months.

So, they’re really looking for, “Are we going to have enough money in the bank to plant all of our acres? Are we going to have enough money to live on?” This bridge assistance program, I hope is a good flotation device for some of those farmers. That way they can keep farming and we just hope and pray that our markets, our economy and our trade improves.

What I really hope is that people spend this money responsibly and smart. I know a lot of farmers have a bad image of misusing government assistance like this, but this is money that some people are bleeding for and they really need it.

I think that it’ll be a good flotation device and a good lifesaver for some farmers who really need it.

Going forward, what would you hope that we see trade-wise?

Everett: I know that president really has our best interest in mind with his tariffs. I hope those continue to bring in profits to the country and those can help improve our balance because they said that even though this is Commodity Credit Corporation money, it is, in a way, tariff money that’s coming in. They said it’s all going into the same pot in some way or fashion.

So, if the tariff money keeps coming in and keeps increasing, then, hopefully, they can send that money out like as a tariff relief check to all individuals and tariff aid to farmers when it’s needed.

All the farmers just want to do is what they know how to do and that’s produce crops and feed the world. We want fair markets and free trade and better trade, not aid. I know everybody says that and beats the bush, but that’s what we want.

From a personal standpoint, what was it like sitting in Oval Office with the president and with all of that history associated with the White House?

Everett: I was literally walking around on clouds. Courtney Kingery was with me and she was like, “Tyler, you just look like you’re on another planet because you are floating in the air.” It was an amazing feeling to be a part of something like that, being there in the White House in the Cabinet Room where so many powerful people of the world have sat at.

Then when he told the fake news to get out, he said, “Get out, the farmers are going the Oval Office.” He said, “Come on, let’s go.” When we walked in there, he was just about as down to earth as you can get. It was like talking to your best buddy.

He just talks to you and he was a straight shooter. He didn’t hide nothing, and I think everybody knows that. He’s not going to sugarcoat it. He was very straightforward with everything he was talking about and all his feelings and personal thoughts.

When we were standing around him in the Oval Office, each one of us kind of said something to him that were near and dear to our heart. My thing that I said to him was, where are we at with year-round E15.

Sen. Deb Fischer from Nebraska, who I’d never met, which was an honor for her to be in there, was sitting on the other side of him, and she said, “Oh, that’s my bill. I’m trying to get that through.” I said, I hope you do, because we need that, because I know right now over 50% of Indiana’s corn goes to ethanol and if that were enacted, that would really, I think, bump the profits for farmers, because then it would make all the grain elevators a little bit more competitive, prices would would increase for profit margins. So, that one’s near and dear to my heart.

We have two or three ethanol options for us, but Tate & Lyle in Lafayette, Indiana, which is a high fructose corn syrup, has the best basis, best prices, so that’s where we go.