Farmer and activist John Bartman: WCPT 820 Interview

Joan Esposito is joined by **John Bartman**, fifth-generation Illinois soybean farmer and activist. The discussion focused on the economic pressures facing Illinois farmers and Bartman’s views on farming practices and policy.  Here are a few **key points** from the conversation: \- Fuel, equipment, seed, rent, taxes, and fertilizer create substantial costs; harvest income often arrives only once a year. \- Bartman said tariffs and the loss of USAID markets have hurt crop demand and income, while high land and equipment values can complicate farm inheritance. \- He described regenerative methods, including no-till farming and cover crops, as ways to reduce inputs, improve soil, and mitigate climate change. \- Bartman supports adjusting inheritance-tax thresholds for inflation and compensating farmers for carbon-reducing practices. \- He urged Democrats to speak more about farm income, regenerative agriculture, and rural concerns. \- He argued that surplus food and agricultural resources could help address world hunger, and criticized spending on war instead of humanitarian needs. **Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (**heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive**).**   **Follow us:** Website: https://heartlandsignal.com WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820 Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@heartlandsignal?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pchttps://www.tiktok.com/@heartlandsignal  Heartland Signal X: https://x.com/HeartlandSignal WCPT 820 X: https://x.com/WCPT820 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlandsignal Threads: threads.com/@heartlandsignal YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heartlandsignal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.