Ernst talks politics at Business Corner

Though some have probably driven through it, Tuesday likely marked the first time a sitting U.S. senator made an official visit to Business Corner near May City.

Sen. Joni Ernst stopped by 300 Acres, LLC to chat with owner Nick Shaffer and other local representatives about issues affecting small businesses, farmers and beyond. The Republican's visit in rural Osceola County was part of her 99-county tour and followed three other stops that day.

Ernst was impressed with Shaffer's business, which serves as a Stine Seed dealership and also sells a variety of products like lights, coolers, hardware, vinyl decals and other goods.

"You have so much going on here," she said.

Ernst fielded a plethora of questions and concerns from those in attendance prior to touring the business. Both she and Shaffer are veterans, which yielded a brief discussion about low military recruitment levels in Iowa.

Recruiters have told the senator that high school students are having trouble passing the ASVAB test, a standardized exam that reveals areas of strength and ability in science, math and language. The test is one of the first steps potential recruits take before enlisting.

"If you're an eighth grader, you should be able to pass the ASVAB," Ernst said.

A variety of potential factors were discussed that might be affecting ASVAB scores. Both Ernst and Shaffer were in agreement that educators need to place more focus on steering high schoolers towards trades and industry following graduation instead of costly four-year institutions.

Shaffer, who said he was a huge proponent of community colleges, believed young adults had more opportunity at making a good income by attending a two-year institution instead of getting saddled with debt at a larger school. Ernst agreed and believed the tide was turning away from attending four-year schools.

"The course is kind of being corrected," she said. "There is dignity in a job. Where I get disgusted is people don't value jobs. We've gotta correct that course a little bit, too."

Another topic of significant discussion was the price of fertilizer. Osceola County Supervisor Ed Jones said crop producers are getting sacked with high costs thanks to tariffs that span two presidential administrations, and he pressed the senator on whether Congress could do anything about it.

Ernst understood the problem but said the solution lied within the executive branch. She said she has reached out to a variety of agencies about the problem, only to be put on the back burner.

"They never get back to you," she explained. "[The Biden Administration] has been very content with maintaining the status quo. We raise the issue and we raise the issue."

Staying in the same lane, Ernst briefly discussed the new Farm Bill. She said a majority of the bill will be dedicated to food assistance programs and not farm programs at a cost estimated at around $1.5 trillion.

"People are going to get sticker shock when they see that," she said.

Other talking points included the Ukraine/Russia conflict and immigration policy. Ernst believed "the well is poisoned" regarding immigration, as Republicans aren't willing to discuss compromises with Democrats until the southern border is secured.

"I don't know what the answer is, other than we need to make changes," she said. "We need folks from the other side who are willing to say that we have to secure our border. Then maybe we can come together."

The senator's visit concluded with a tour of Shaffer's business. The shop was built in 2020 and has plans for expansion soon. The variety of products at the 300 Acres impressed Ernst, as did other facets of the business.

"We try to offer as many American-made products as we can here, because that's a big priority for me," Shaffer said.