The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s latest “Beltway Beef” podcast features comments from Congressman Sam Graves (R-MO), who is also a farmer from Northwest Missouri, about a couple of important issues for agriculture – farm bill, the “death tax,” and government regulation.

“It’s not really a farm bill, it’s a food policy bill,” said Rep. Graves. “It’s about the safest, most abundant, most affordable food supply in the world. We can take our food supply for granted in the United States, which makes us a great country.”

Graves says, like everyone else in agriculture and small business, permanent estate tax relief is a priority for him in 2012. “Death shouldn’t be a taxable event,” he says. “We work very hard to maintain and build that farm and pass it on to our children. To say that the federal government is owed something just because someone has passed on and you have to sell have the farm or half the business is just wrong.”

Great stuff from Sam – and great job of NCBA’s Mary Geiger getting the interview and Mike Deering doing the report. Have a listen or download here or, better yet, go to Beltway Beef and get it!