Someone recently asked me if I knew how many interviews I had done over the last 30 years and my answer was, “I have no clue!” I never really thought there would be a need to count them all. I just know there have been a bunch!

State and industry leaders gathered at the Capitol Tuesday to highlight Kentucky’s leadership in the growing alternative aviation fuel market, supporting the state’s agriculture industry, attracting new investment, and strengthening supply chains across the Commonwealth.

A fair estimate of visitors who make their way to the nation’s capital each year would be in the neighborhood of 27 million, according to various Washington tourism sources. However, the 300-plus Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) member advocates who annually join the organization’s Congressional Tour have made this trip a regular part of their advocacy efforts.

American humorist Will Rogers once said, “The farmer has to be an optimist, or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.”

USDA’s latest outlook confirms what farmers are experiencing firsthand, and it retells the story released just a few months ago. USDA has now sharply lowered its 2025 farm income outlook by $25 billion, reinforcing that this downturn is deeper and more persistent than many anticipated.

First-grade teacher Jalena Bryant of Russell Springs Elementary was the 2025 KFB Excellence in Ag winner.