MDOT presents the Extra Mile podcast.

Welcome into another edition

of the Extra Mile podcast here at Mdot.

I am wILLcraft.

And I am not joined,
this time by my co-host, Paul Katool.

I'm going to do my best,
to hold it down in his stead.

And he'll be back with us
next episode, for sure.

But today we got a great guest,
on tap for us.

No stranger to the show
or to Mississippians for sure.

Department of Agriculture Commissioner

Andy Gipson,
thank you so much for joining us.

Well, it's great to be with you.

My hat's off to you.

Thank you all for doing this
great podcast.

Every time I'm a I'm a faithful listener.

When I get a chance. That's right.

We're going to

institute the gold jackets at some point
for for numerous appearances.

Got his first inductee.
Yeah, that's a great idea.

Well, Commissioner, as we were discussing
on the way up, you are hard

and heavy out there running the roads,
talking to folks, getting to the people.

Lots going on, lots to cover.

But how are things
that Department of Agriculture.

Things are going very well. Thank you.

The Department AG is a great,
great agency.

We're really proud of our 200
plus employees, most of whom work

in their vehicle
all day, working out and doing the work

that has to be done out in the field
or and testing the gas pumps.

The fuel pumps
make sure folks are getting quality

fuel and test and everything
in the grocery stores make sure

everything scans up right on the scanners
and just, really, it's

not an exaggeration
to say that our agency touches

the lives of every single Mississippian
in a positive way, every day.

We're proud of the work that our folks do
and proud of the Department AG,

and I'm proud to be the commissioner, sir.

And, all marks
doing a great job out there.

And again, lots to cover.
We've got a bunch of great stuff.

Dixie National
and some new initiatives rolling out.

But, one thing you just hit on
a little bit there, the seasons.

Seasons coming and going and change
and we're in the fall.

Oh man, it's harvest season. That's right.

There we go.

I've just recently
got a radio spot, in connection with the

transportation
safety initiative in the Delta.

So, reminding people

as you travel this fall,
I know we're all thinking about

where we're headed and where we're going
and where we got to be.

But remember,
you're going to see a lot more tractors.

You're going to see a lot more combine.

You're going to see more trucks hauling,
product.

Mississippi's number one
industries, agriculture.

You will see more of that on the road.

And they're not moving is they're not
moving 60 miles an hour and 65.

So so take a little extra caution,
I remind folks, and be a little careful

because,
you don't want to run into the back

of that load of soybeans and,
not only for your for their safety,

but for yours as well,
and for everybody's safety.

I encourage people to slow down,

pay a little more attention,
especially when you're traveling in

rural areas, and just be on the lookout
for for slow moving vehicles.

This is a critical time of the year
for our farmers.

They're getting the crops in.

And, whether it's soybeans or cotton
or whether it's corn or,

even,
the harvest is going on and other products

pay attention to what's in front of you
and look out and, y'all be safe out there.

Absolutely. That's right.

Whether you go into the game
or just go in to see family,

whatever it is, it only takes a fraction
of a second, you know?

And sometimes those brakes just don't stop
quick enough and try to get them.

Pay attention
and look at everybody be all right.

But it's a it's
a critical time of the year.

And I'll tell you if it's all right
to, to talk about farming right now.

Sure.

The farmers are facing
some difficult days.

Now, when I say agriculture or farming,
that is a lot of very broad products.

Our poultry is our number one industry.

And then we, of course, got beef cattle
and a lot of other great products.

But I'm talking about our crop producers
right now, soybeans.

I'm talking about corn producers.

I'm talking about cotton.

Those three, big row crop commodities
and others, are facing

some really stiff headwinds right now
due to global trade, imbalance.

That's the best way I can put it.

China has been the purchaser
of about 52% of American

soybeans, just taking them, for example,
over the years, historically.

But over the last five years,
we've had a trade imbalance

that has really been driven by China's
going out and buying product elsewhere.

So just taking soybeans, just one example.

China, this year has not placed
one single order for American soybeans.

Wow. So this is a a game

changer in terms of, the

what what our farmers have come to expect
in terms of trade and what's reality

now, what's happening is China's
buying all their product from Brazil.

So they have outsourced their products
to their purchases from Brazil,

which is cutting down their rainforest

every day, triple crop and soybeans
and wow, all of these factors,

it's just one example, but,
we have so much production.

All right.

So we're blessed.

We're highly productive,
the most productive soil.

And in America's in the Mississippi Delta.

But we have been so successful
in producing abundant

soybeans, corn, cotton
that we have so much of it.

Right.

And the demand is not there.

So President Trump is working.

I know, AG Secretary
Brooke Rowlands is working.

A lot of smart people are working
to, to to,

crack open new markets,

but also trying to renegotiate
a deal with China

that'll get them back to the table.

That's happening right now
as we're recording this podcast.

President Trump is in England
negotiating a new deal for our farmers.

So we're we're in a really tight time.

The cost of production have been sky high.

The demand has not been there.

So the prices are low.

And for many farmers,
this is a make or break situation.

Sure.

So we've been in talks
with everybody in DC.

I've been to DC several times,
and we actually had

Secretary Brooke Rollins
here in Mississippi this last week and,

talk with her about these times.

She gets it, the president gets it.

Everybody understands
that our farmers are facing tough times.

And, the first thing on the agenda
is to pass a farm bill.

So we've been in talks
with our congressional delegation.

Everybody is so good to work with,
but it can't happen soon enough.

And then that, this past week, 260

farm organizations
nationwide wrote Congress and,

I, you know, begged them to
to pass a bipartisan farm bill.

So that's that's something
that's got to happen in the near term

before the end of this year.

Any markets we can open up,

getting China back to the table,
trying to get a deal done with India

and that which is the a larger market
than China, as a matter of fact.

So, just everybody be aware out there

we are in 2025,
America is in the midst of a farm crisis.

And it's not an exaggeration
to call it a crisis, but

I know our farmers well enough to know
they're going to persevere.

We're going to get through this.

I believe DC, I believe Washington,
the Congress will come through,

and I know President Trump and his team
are ready and able and willing to help.

And we're going to get through this.

And, in the meanwhile,

well, we gotta do what we can do here
in Mississippi to help.

Exactly. Right.

So what we started last week,

was a private sector
led group of, agriculture leaders,

private sector farmers,
aid groups, organizations

who understand these issues
better than any politician ever will.

And,
meeting around a table at our office,

we kicked off this initiative
with a presentation by a professor Keith

Coble,
director of the Agriculture Department

at a Mississippi State University,
kind of painting a broad picture

of the issues and what our intent
is to travel the state.

I'm already traveling the state myself,

but we're going to take this group
of ag experts and farmers around the state

listening to local producers
and in the Delta, in northeast Mississippi

and central Mississippi, southwest
and in the southeast and the Gulf Coast.

Talking about what our farmers are seeing
at the local level and what we can do in

terms of policy as a state in Mississippi
to help, we can only do what we can do.

But we first had to figure out
what needs to be done today

for the future of agriculture tomorrow.

So we're focused on that.

And, you know, I'm proud of the work
that that we've already done.

We've already highlighted some big issues.

Yeah, one of the big ones

is we're going to have to bring back
more domestic production.

Sure.

For example, cotton.

Okay. Cotton.

Most of our cotton Cotton's
Mississippi is number one export.

The number one thing
that we ship out of this state is cotton.

And we ship it to other countries

who were sewing and didn't do a t shirt
or whatever that we need.

And then they ship it back to

and a profit to them.

And the president has been very vocal
about this and I support him.

Like,
why are we cutting our own throat sugar?

We could be doing that
right here in America.

We could be making that same product.

It would help the farmer
to have that market here.

We wouldn't have to wonder who's
going to buy our products overseas.

Do it here.

American made, American grown,
kind of like our genuine Mississippi

program, but,
American and genuine American products.

I think we're going to bring back
more domestic production.

But this is a long term solution.

It's going to happen overnight. It's
kind of things we're looking at right now.

I love that you just mentioned, another
great initiative you're working on.

One of the others that we talked about

just a bit ago,
the Make Mississippi Healthy Again.

Love that.
Tell us about that. Well, thank you.

I went to Washington, DC back in February,
right when the Trump administration

was taking the reins,
of the federal government

and met with the Food
and Drug Administration folks.

And they said that to myself and other
other ag commissioners that were there.

They told us three different times,
find a way to plug in

to make America healthy again.

Now, make America Healthy Again
is the president's executive order

to try to help restore, a healthier
population here in our country.

We have

we spend so much on health care, but
we're some of the sickest people on earth

seem so. It all begins on the family farm.

So one of his initiatives
was to make sure we have abundant,

affordable and available food supply
and so I came back,

started turning my wheels, and we launched
Make Mississippi Healthy Again.

Make mass Healthy again.com.

You can find it on the website.

And when you go there,
what you're going to find are resources

about food raised on a farm in Mississippi
where you can go buy locally.

We we love to promote local purchases
of of of, farm raised food

for the obvious reason that it supports
our farmers and it supports the economy.

The local economy.

But this health aspect
is a whole new wrinkle of that.

Because the truth is,
when you eat healthy,

when you eat locally, raise food, it's
generally going to be less processed,

it's going to be a fresher and
it's going to have more nutrients in it.

So that makes perfect sense to me.

As we launched to make Mississippi
Healthy again, we are connecting

consumers who are health conscious
with farm raised products in Mississippi.

I, we traveled hitting all the the spring
crops, blueberries, blackberries.

The official state fruit is blueberries,
by the way, thanks to the legislature.

Thank you.

All. The, we hit, the produce watermelons
and all the great produce.

Tomatoes, peas, butter beans
that we raise across the state during the

the growing season.
And the farmers markets.

And now we're headed into the fall.

Now, will, when it gets fall,
I start thinking about hunting season.

I start thinking
about specific types of food.

What do you start thinking about?

Maybe a good sweet potato and pumpkins.

You can't go without pumpkins, for sure.
That's good.

That's good for mine.

I like all that.

But I think about pecan pie.

I don't eat them all year long,
but I love to eat them in the fall

with a cup of coffee.

So we're going to hit our fall crops
pecans, sweet potatoes.

We're going to hit peanuts.

You know, when I think about bowl peanuts
in the fall

and in rice and some others
that we're hitting to to highlight

the fact that Mississippi already
has the healthiest farm raised food

here, locally available.

And we roll back a lot of regulations

to make it easier for people
just to buy direct from the farm.

And I like to remind folks
that when you buy direct from a farmer

are at a farmers
market, your sales tax is not 7%

0%. There's

no state sales tax on your purchase
of local farm raised food.

So you're getting an economic benefit.

You're getting a,
a health conscious benefit, and you're

still supporting our local farmers
and our local communities.

So as we have launched this, we're
also in discussions with the Department

of Education about our farm
to school program, ways to expand that.

Absolutely.

Ways to that farmers can actually benefit
through this program by planning,

more peas and butter beans
and have a direct market into our schools.

That's what the president
and the Health Administration

is really focused on, on children,
young people, especially eating healthier

and being healthier because
when you eat healthy food, guess what?

You're going to be healthier.

The old saying we all learn
you are what you eat.

So when you eat, eat, eat, eat healthy,
you're going to be healthier.

You eat junk,
you're going to have junky health.

We're trying to make Mississippi
healthy again.

And we do believe the potential
is there to help,

our population be healthier
and also help our farmers simultaneously.

And I have talked with, Corrections
Commissioner Burl Cain about this issue

and the interest that they have

and having more access to local farm
raised Mississippi food products.

So we're, you know,
the possibilities are there.

And we're we're working lockstep
with the Trump

administration
on making America healthy again.

We want to do it
right here in Mississippi.

I love that
I had no idea about the sales tax.

Yeah, part of that. Most people
I tell that to don't I.

But when you buy the key is buying

farm raised product from a farmer.

And that can be on farm
or at the farmers market.

And the sales tax is 0%.

So you get out and shop.

We have 72 farmers
markets across the state.

Well, almost one in every county.
We used to have.

I think 25. But that has really grown.

The demand, the consumer demand
for more local, available food

products has grown and the farmers
markets have grown with it.

So, we're fired up about it.

And, and I do believe it has potential
to be a very,

important aspect to the farmers
future in Mississippi.

I love that, I love every bit of that.

I mean, I am not a farmer.
I'm not a scientist.

I couldn't give you any data
that supports closure.

More local food is better for you.

But in my head, I would completely agree.

It seems correct,
you know, food and exercise.

And speaking of that, if I could jump in
on behalf of my friends at Mississippi

State University, certainly they're
launching during the state fair this year.

They're launching a similar program,
but but unwra but, similar,

but not exactly related.

But it's a walking program.

I'm trying to get Mississippians to walk
180 miles over six week period of time,

and they actually launched it,
a soft launch.

Its online now.

You can sign up and getting people
enrolled in this to walk on a daily basis.

The full length of Mississippi,
the state of Mississippi are the

that is so that's exciting to
to think about.

You know, I think it's 180 miles.

It might be some other distance,
but I can't remember

except to say it's a long distance over
six weeks.

And, I think they said 180.

They're going to launch it
during the state fair.

And we'll give you all the details then.

But it's a walking,
eating healthier and healthier lifestyle.

So in a healthier population to help us
battle some of the chronic disease

that we face in this state
that's dragging this down, and

and we can do better than that,
and we can be healthier. Absolutely.

What's the old saying?

You know, a well, man has lots of wishes,
but a sick man only has one.

That's right,
that's right. You be healthy. Exactly.

We take our health for granted.

Sometimes you are what you eat.

Well, I like that very much.

Well, look again.
You guys are killing it.

I mean, just out there,
doing doing the Lord's work.

Love the local aspect of all that.

And, obviously I like to eat,
a couple things are one thing.

You did mention

that we were looking very much forward
to getting to talking about, State Fair.

Coming up, man, we're ready for the
the Mississippi State Fair.

It's the 166th Mississippi State Fair,
the largest event in the state

will have half a million
people come through here or more.

We hope to have more this year.

I was at my desk in the month of June

and, got an e-mail from
the white House and it said,

you were

invited to participate
in the Great American State Fair.

So. Well, that sounded arresting.

I clicked on it and read it and turns out
President Trump had mentioned

this idea of a great American fair
when he was running for reelection.

And, you know, we all heard it
and didn't think a lot more about it.

But it's a true thing.

He's challenging as part of America's
250th birthday,

every state
to have the most patriotic fair.

We're having a competition.

Who can have
the most patriotic state fair?

I didn't even
I did not even have to pray about that.

I actually wrote him right
back, said Mississippi's.

And we're going to do this. No problem.
We can do this.

And so we're wrapping our state fair and
red, white and blue as part of America.

250 the birthday of America.

July the 4th will be 250 years old next
July 4th, 2026.

And the president
said, we're starting the celebration now,

a year long,
and we'll continue through 26.

But as we put on the most patriotic fair,
some of the things that we've done,

we're going to have a ribbon cutting
with the National Guard and a flyover.

We've got Chief Cyrus, Band

of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
coming to help us cut the ribbon.

And, the new mayor Jackson, Mayor Horn

and, we've got, some great activities

of patriotic performances
throughout the duration of the fair.

Some local churches are performing,
doing patriotic programing.

A day of prayer, October the 8th.

And then right after I wrote
the white House Banks in Mississippi.

Then I picked up the phone and I said,
y'all call Lee Greenwood's agent,

call him today, and book him
for the Mississippi State Fair.

And I'm proud to report
Lee Greenwood will be

at the State
Fair on stage for a live performance.

October 13th is Columbus Day
with a great American concert.

Free with your fair admission,
and I'm going to get on stage and sing.

I'm Proud to Be an American
with Lee Greenwood.

If I don't do anything else, I'm going
to be up there singing that with him.

After he performs,
we're going to have a massive

fireworks show and,
it's going to be a fantastic day.

We planned a great American parade,
and I love

the patriotic spirit that this is going
to bring as we bring people together.

And we were thinking about what else
could we do to kind of give back.

And we decided we'd
make it a great benefit for our veterans.

The Friends of Mississippi Veterans,
an organization, nonprofit organization

that simply invest in the care
and the well-being of the veterans

who fought and defended our freedoms
for all their lives, building them

homes, nursing homes, and vans so they can
get to the health care that they need.

And so we're going to have stations
throughout the entire complex

where people can give directly
to the Friends of Mississippi Veterans.

Just click on the QR code, send it,
and they're going to support the veterans

of this great state.

We're honored to do that.

And so if Mississippi doesn't win
the most patriotic state fair,

I don't know who else is going to win it.

You know, we got to win us all
we need to do

if you're coming to the fair.

Well, I'm telling you,
I'm telling you and myself.

Let's all wear red, white and blue.

Let's get a sea of red, white
and blue folks out there on that, Fairway

fair midway.

And we're going to have a fantastic state
fair, All American patriotic State Fair.

The National Guard will be there.

We're going to honor our law enforcement.

We have special days for law enforcement,
first responders, and active military

and veterans to get in absolutely free
because we love America.

And I think in the days that we're living
in, when we see the tragedy of the

the Charlie Kirk assassination
and the the gut punch that we all took

to see that tragedy, it's a good time
to remember that we are one

nation under God, and we can come together
and stand for what we believe in.

And, I think everybody can agree.

We're thankful to be Americans,
to be celebrating 250 years.

Thanks be to the good Lord
and the great people of this country.

So let's let's celebrate America.

That's right.

It's just 20, 25
great American Mississippi State Fair.

And that is October 2nd. Right.

Start October the 2nd at 11:00.

We'll cut the ribbon.

It'll run all the way
through the 13th and Columbus Day.

And that's
when Lee Greenwood will be here.

And you come on out.

I'll be at the biscuit booth.

And by the way, next question.

One more, one more, one more big. Well,

ask me your question and I'll tell you
one more big surprise.

Well, that you answered.

I was going to ask
when you're going to be at the biscuit,

I'm going to be at the biscuit booth.

So the the great American Fair
that President Trump invasion

is going to happen in Washington, DC

on the week of 4th of July 2026.

And he's invited us to come

to the National Mall for a 50 state
great American fair.

Oh, wow.

So I'll be representing our state there.

Oh, maybe y'all can come too.

But I'm going to bring the biscuit booth
to Washington, DC.

I love that we give 100,000

fresh, hot, homemade buttermilk
biscuits out every year,

and we'll give a

few of them out in Washington, DC
to see what they think about them.

Yeah, I take some catfish every time I go,
so you can't find these catfish,

we're thinking
maybe we should start a contest.

What do we need to bring to represent
Mississippi at the Great American Fair

during the 250th birthday
celebration of America?

The biscuit booth is going to be there.

All right,
what else? They all think about it.

You drive in and tell us what you think.

I that I think we'll launch that way
during the state fair.

Let people give us their ideas.
Catfish is a great idea.

We like to eat, I'm telling you.

And I'm not kidding.

Every time I go to Washington, I feel like
there's just no where to eat catfish.

I don't know why it is.

I get up there
and start looking for catfish, I guess.

Well, they don't know what
they're missing out on now.

You convinced me. Well, let's
bring the catfish to D.C..

We got to.

Maybe we call it a taste of Mississippi.

There we go. All of our best food.

We've all talked about a lot of it,
and we're going to do it.

So get ready.

Let's celebrate America
during this state fair.

And then the weekend, 4th of July.

I'll see y'all in Washington, D.C.

on the National Mall
with a taste of Mississippi.

And I will have some biscuits to hand.

I love a lot to look forward to.

And look, I just own the state fair.

I mean, a staple of of my entire,
you know, childhood and existence.

I mean, that was something
we looked forward to and and still do.

And now I've got two little kids
and, two girls.

Can't wait to bring them out
and and restart that.

You know, it's about family memories.

Absolutely.

And the people who come to the state fair,
many of them are multiple

generations coming, bringing their family.

Had a couple here last year
that was celebrating

75 years of marriage
while they were engaged.

I get the he popped the question
at the state fair 75 years ago.

And they brought,

I think, four generations of their family
there just to celebrate there.

And wheelchairs rolling around.

And I'm thinking, well,
that's what it's about, family memories

and, making those traditions.

And when you come by the biscuit booth,
that's keeping the tradition alive.

I love that very much.

Well, Commissioner, look, with that,
I appreciate you very much

taking your time, my day
to come over here.

Anything else you wanted to to get out
before we leave?

I don't think so.

I just want to encourage everybody
to put on their patriotic spirit.

Come on out to the Mississippi State Fair,

support our farmers,
thank our farmers when you see them.

And, And buy local.

That's what I love to see people
do when we invest in our own people

and our own products,

we're making the best investment
because we have the best folks

and the the best farmers,
the best products anywhere in this world.

And I'm honored to be here today.

Thank you

all for what you do as a vote to keep
the products rolling, commerce flowing.

And, we'll just keep on keeping on
and see what tomorrow brings.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

We appreciate you. With that.
We'll wrap up here.

Special thanks to all of our listeners
out there for letting us do this.

Drew Hall

holding things down behind the camera,
making sure everything goes smoothly.

Shout out to our trans
comm partners up there.

Maggie.

Thanks for always taking care of us
and looking out for us.

Find us wherever you download podcasts,
go get it and, let us know.

Thank you all so much. Forever.

Drive safe out there on Mississippi Road.