Editor’s note: Tyler Robertson, a delegate from District 2 (Kent), was selected to represent Grain Farmers of Ontario in the 2024-25 cohort of the ASA-Corteva Young Leader Program. Robertson was selected to participate in Phase III of the program, held in Washington, DC, in July 2025. The following is his personal reflection on the program and what he learned during his visit to the U.S. Capitol. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER MEMBER RELATIONS 30 Tyler Robertson View from the Hill Ontario young leader goes to Washington Representing Ontario at the 2024/25 ASA-Corteva Young Leader Program was an extremely valuable opportunity for me. Highlights of this three-phase leadership program included meeting and networking with participating farmers, American Soybean Association leaders, and politicians, as well as attending the Commodity Classic and participating in meetings on Capitol Hill. Phase I of the program included a week at Corteva headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, in October 2024, while Phase II involved attending the Commodity Classic in Denver, Colorado, in February 2025. Following these initial phases, each participant was given the opportunity to write an essay to apply to be among the 10 people selected to participate in Phase III, which was held in Washington, DC, in July 2025. In my essay to the selection committee, I highlighted the many reasons why they should choose a Canadian. I described the integrated nature of the American and Canadian agricultural industries and explained why it is in the interests of both countries to collaborate. I explained that, even in these challenging political times, it remains vital to have face-to-face conversations between representatives from both countries and to maintain associationlevel communication. I further wrote about tariffs and retaliatory measures that threaten cross-border agricultural supply chains. I expressed that continued communication and work to ensure the uninterrupted cross-border trade that both countries depend on remains pivotal, as politics, presidencies, or tariffs cannot separate our agricultural connectivity. Agricultural advancement is not defined by country borders. Rather, it is what unites us, feeds our citizens, and is crucial to our livelihood on both sides of the border. In the spring of this year, I was excited to learn I had been selected as the first Canadian to participate in this third phase. A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY As an Ontario farmer, Phase III provided a unique opportunity to engage directly with American policymakers on Capitol Hill and participate in the American Soybean Association’s July Board meeting. Each Phase III participant spent one day of the week with their state’s political leaders on Capitol Hill. The North Dakota Soybean Association invited me to join them for a day of lobbying, where we met with North Dakota’s Senator Hoeven and Congresswoman Fedorchak, both Republicans. The North Dakota delegation encouraged me to share with the politicians the integrated nature of Ontario cross-border supply chains and the importance of tariff-free trade. As a border state, they recognized the importance of trade with Canada and expressed their support for maintaining strong cross-border ties. I also spent some additional time with representatives from the Kansas Soybean Association. The various state associations were interested in the Canadian perspective. KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED Some key topics discussed in Washington included the escalating trade tensions, prospects of the United States' withdrawal from the World Trade Organization (WTO), farm profitability, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. While all these concerns undermine U.S. farm business sustainability, U.S. soybean producers remain most deeply concerned by the mounting trade tensions. For instance, two-thirds of North Dakota’s soybean crop is exported through the Pacific Northwest to Asian markets. However, with
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