Jim Baird: “As we seek to remain competitive with China, we cannot forget about the importance of agricultural research.”

As we approach America’s 250th birthday, we must renew our commitment to supporting those who have answered the call to serve and defended our precious freedoms from the Battles of Lexington and Concord through today.

I rise to congratulate Megan Johnson, a fourth grade teacher at Central Elementary School in Plainfield, Indiana, who was named the 2026 Indiana Teacher of the Year by the Indiana Department of Education. Megan Johnson has over 18 years of…

I rise today to honor Gary Steinhardt from Lafayette, Indiana. Gary Steinhardt served in the U.S. Army for 30 years and is a veteran of the Vietnam and Iraq wars. Gary has also served as a professor of agronomy at Purdue University…

I rise today to honor Chuck Conner who officially retired on Monday, July 14, after serving as a national agriculture leader since 1997. A Benton County native and graduate of Purdue University, Chuck Conner served as the president and CEO…