Davids Brings Kansas Farmers Union Executive Director to State of the Union
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representative Sharice Davids hosted a press conference with Nick Levendofsky, Executive Director of the Kansas Farmers Union, who is her guest for President Trump’s State of the Union Address.
During a virtual call earlier today, Davids and Levendofsky discussed the impact of reckless tariffs and the urgent need to strengthen and protect the state’s agricultural economy. They noted that Kansas lost 700 farms in 2025 alone, underscoring the real consequences of chaotic policies and the need for stability and bipartisan solutions.
“I’m glad to have Nick Levendofsky join me tonight at the State of the Union,” said Davids. “Kansas farmers and families need certainty, and that’s why I’m committed to passing a long-term, bipartisan Farm Bill that supports our producers and strengthens our agricultural economy. We need policies that keep our farms thriving and lower grocery prices — not reckless tariffs and uncertainty that make it harder for folks to succeed.”
WATCH: Davids and Levendofsky held a virtual call today to discuss their work together
“We know, and have known, for many years that the only way we get a good Farm Bill that includes the programs that we need back home is by that coalition we have with our food and farm coalition,” said Nick Levendofsky, Executive Director, Kansas Farmers Union. “It was a bipartisan effort, and we need to look back on that history and recognize that’s how we get things done for rural America — for everybody.”
Levendofsky serves as executive director of the Kansas Farmers Union and secretary of the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy. He previously held government relations and external affairs roles with Wisconsin Farmers Union and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. Raised on a family farm in north-central Kansas, he earned a degree in agricultural communications and journalism from Kansas State University.
Kansas families are feeling the pinch of Trump’s trade policies. The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates the average American household will pay $2,400 more annually due to tariffs. Davids has pushed back and supported bipartisan approaches to trade that balance competitiveness with consumer protection. She spoke during a U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing on the trade disruptions — a concern echoed by Kansas Farm Bureau President Joe Newland. She also visited a local toy store and manufacturer that are being hit hard by these unstable policies and hosted a press conference on her efforts to push back on tariffs that are raising prices for hardworking families.
The Farm Bill markup is approaching in the U.S. House, an opportunity to pass a long-term bipartisan package for the first time in eight years. Last year, a partisan, partial version was included in the Republican budget bill, but Representative Sharice Davids believes Kansas farmers and families deserve a full, bipartisan solution — the approach that has historically delivered results.
To support Kansas producers, Davids has also embarked on a Farm Bill listening tour, where she visited a poultry and livestock operation in Anderson County, a co-op in Franklin County, a goat farm in Miami County, an organic vegetable farm in Johnson County, and an educational community farm in Wyandotte County. Davids also toured a Garnett-based renewable ethanol producer, participated in FFA activities at Spring Hill High School, served a school lunch at Black Bob Elementary in Olathe, spoke with industry leaders on financial support programs for farmers, toured a dairy farm in Garnett, and more.
The President’s Joint Address will take place tonight, February 24, at the U.S. Capitol.