Randy Renze speaks in an interview with Xinhua in West Des Moines, Iowa, the United States, on May 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan)

　　“There was a lot of disruption,“ he said. “Tariffs were imposed without much planning. Markets were lost. Costs rose. Relationships strained.“

　　By Yang Shilong, Li Xirui, Liu Yanan

　　MANNING, United States, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Renze family's fleet stretches from six-monitor John Deere tractors to a pristine 1929 Ford Model A, a symbol of a time when farming was hands-on, not high-tech.

　　At 97, Melvin Renze, the family patriarch, still drives his Ford down Main Street to Deb's Corner Café. On other days, he wanders into the fields, running his fingers through the soil and offering advice to his sons: “You ought to do this, or that!“

　　“I'm busy all the time,“ he said. “I was born a farmer. It's in my blood. If I had a do-over, I'd do exactly the same. I like farming. I did like farming.“

　　The Renzes have farmed in western Iowa for generations, managing thousands of acres of farmland and a significant number of livestock. Melvin's son, Scott, stays in the field, dealing with unpredictable markets, precision technology and the ripple effects of U.S.-China trade friction. His brother, Randy, took a different path, branching into international agribusiness.

　　Despite the support of advanced technologies, such as GPS-guided tractors, cloud-connected feeding systems and data-informed crop decisions, their concerns revolve around cost, policy consistency and international cooperation.