Thoughts from the Tractor Seat: The Tariff Trap — When Tough Talk Costs Us the Farm — Columbia Community Connection News Mid-Columbia Region

Thoughts from the Tractor Seat: The Tariff Trap — When Tough Talk Costs Us the Farm — Columbia Community Connection News Mid-Columbia Region

By Ken PolehnThe Dalles, Ore., July 20, 2025 — They say tariffs are about fairness. They call them leverage. They tell us to "hold the line" for the good of the nation. But when you’re the one standing in the line of fire, all that tough talk starts to sound a little hollow. We’ve been here before. Back in 2018, when trade wars heated up, farmers like me were told to “take one for the team.” So we did. Soybeans are piled up in bins. Markets drie…