During a recent interview on Independence Institute’s* public affairs tv show “Devil’s Advocate with Jon Caldara, executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in Colorado, Jerry Sonnenberg, describes agriculture as operating in an increasingly hostile political environment—especially at the state level.
The former state lawmaker lays out what he calls a “war on rural Colorado.”
Sonnenberg notes that while Colorado’s political environment has become deeply polarized, with a wide urban-rural divide under the gold dome, the “buck starts at the top,” blaming Governor Jared Polis for making appointments to boards and commissions that reflect an agenda hostile to agriculture and rural lifestyle. He also points out that many suburban and urban voters are disconnected from how food, meat, and minerals are produced.
At the national level, Sonnenberg says Trump has been overall good for farmers, citing trade policy, deregulation, and taxes. On tariffs, he acknowledges the complexity of compliance, but supports their use as leverage, pointing out Mexico is buying more U.S. product than ever.
The interview also touches on immigration enforcement and agricultural labor, with Sonnenberg saying the administration is streamlining legal pathways for workers. He highlights estate tax relief as important for “land rich, cash poor” family farms and argues regulatory stability—plus fewer “roadblocks”—is key so producers can plan, survive volatility, and keep food affordable.
You can view the entire interview here, or watch it below.
