Annie and I were heartbroken this morning to learn of the passing of Ray Gaesser. On Tuesday of this week, I had the privilege of sitting alongside Ray at a town hall in Southwest Iowa, talking about farming, the future of agriculture, and the challenges facing the people who make their living from the land. Ray was everything you hope an Iowan would will be: positive, hardworking, thoughtful, innovative, and deeply committed to leaving the land better than he found it. He spent his life not only farming, but serving as a tireless advocate for Iowa agriculture and the people who sustain it. It is difficult to comprehend that just days after sharing a conversation with him, he is gone. My heart and prayers are with Ray’s wife Elaine, Ray’s family, his friends, and the entire Southwest Iowa agricultural community. Iowa lost a great farmer and a good man today. I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent some of his final days listening to him and learning from him.