Sen. Joni Ernst and Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield were asked a basic question by the moderators of tonight’s Iowa U.S. Senate debate: the price of two different agricultural commodities and their respective break-even points. Greenfield was asked first about corn and gave a great, knowledgeable answer.
Ernst was asked a similar question about soybeans, and… boom!
The final Iowa US Senate debate gets down to serious ag issues, The Des Moines Register reports.
The candidates were also asked for the break-even price of corn, in Greenfield's case, and soybeans, in Ernst's case.
"Well a bushel of corn is going for about $3.68, today, $3.69, and breakeven really just depends on the amount of debt someone has," Greenfield said as moderator Ron Steele nodded and said "that's correct."
Ernst was then asked about the price of soybeans, but began her answer by talking about the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement and its impact on Iowa's corn market. When Steele followed up, Ernst appeared to believe he had asked her about corn as well.
"I might have missed it, I don't think you answered my question: What's the breakeven price for soybeans in Iowa? You grew up on a farm, you should know this," Steele said.
"I think you had asked about corn, and it depends on what the inputs are, but probably about $5.50," Ernst said.
"Well, you're a couple dollars off, I think here, because it's $10.05, but we'll move on to something else," Steele said.
Given another chance to answer, Ernst appeared to still believe she was being asked about corn.
"You said, could the breakeven for corn is $10.50? I don't think that's correct," she said.
You grew up on a farm, you should know this. Word.