Senate candidate Rodney Walker joins the Heart of Dixie Podcast

August 2025 – U.S. Senate candidate Rodney Walker joined the Heart of Dixie Podcast recently to discuss his candidacy. Walker is a conservative Republican businessman and cattle rancher in east Alabama.

"We do own Walker lands and cattle, uh, which is a 750 and calves and bulls," said Walker about his 2000-acre ranch. "We're grass farmers, I suppose you would say, for the cattle. We also have pine timberland and that sort of thing. We have the largest gooseneck trailer dealership in the United States, where we sell trailers - cattle trailers - all over the country, including Hawaii."

In addition to his farming operations Walker is a businessman and entrepreneur.

"We have five Patriot fueling centers located across the state," said Walker. "Alexander City, Wetumpka, Alabama, and we're finishing construction of one in Montgomery on the Alabama River," added Walker. "We also have Weed Alley Quarry Incorporated. It's a granite rock quarry located also in the East Central part of Alabama in Randolph County. And then we have Hatchet Creek Leasing, which is a company that leases commercial wheels buildings."

Walker said that his business and agricultural experience prepares him to serve Alabama in the U.S. Senate.

"I think that Donald Trump has done a good job of showing you that a businessman can move mountains in Washington, D.C," said Walker. "He's moved mountains in quite a short amount of time. During this presidency. It's a lot of things that businessmen understand and can make things happen and move where the politicians, career politicians sometimes just get in a grind and things kind of grind to a halt. I very much believe that my abilities will be great in Washington."

Walker is also a helicopter pilot and former reserve sheriff's deputy.

Agriculture is a major industry in Alabama and right now grains (adjusted for inflation) are at or near all-time lows while beef prices are setting records. Walker spoke on those issues at length.

"I spoke about that the other night that corn was down to $3.82 a bushel," said Walker. "You can't put it in the ground. It was $7.50 a bushel." "Equipment's doubled and tripled in its price and that type of thing. I mean, if you're asking me how those cattle farmers feel about it, I mean, we're proud that right now we're getting the most money that there ever have been, you know, for our commodity; but at the same time, I think I would speak for everyone that said, by no shortage, we want to put corn producers out of business. We'd rather, or I had rather for certain, see that spread across. Now, if you raise the price of corn to $5.50, It might take basically 20 cents a pound, but right now we're at $3.36 a pound for feeder calves."

Walker said that getting a good Farm Bill is important and a farm aid program is likely needed to help the crop farmers through the current crisis.

"There may be some people that are going to be against what I'm going to say, but at this point in time, it would be very viable to assist the family farmer and the non-corporate farmer, even in the way of subsidy, to get the product," said Walker. "Now, I didn't say a forever package or what have you, but nobody can survive on $3.82 corn and the input cost being $5 plus. I mean, you just can't constantly lose $1.20 a bushel. You're going to lose the farm if you keep on doing that. So, as far as right now, I think that we need to add in the Farm Bill some substantive different types of things."

Walker said that if elected he would seek a seat on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Senator Tommy Tuberville – who is leaving the Senate to run for Governor – presently sits n the Agriculture Committee.

Walker said that China and the ongoing trade issues are responsible for a lot of the current farm crisis with low demand for U.S. grains.

"China has been our biggest trade partner for a lot of ag commodities like corn and soybeans and so forth," explained Walker. "We've got to look into new markets too, like perhaps India, South Africa, there's so many other countries that that we can move into the into trading with the United States on grain that we haven't opened those doors to and somebody's going to have to spend some time working out trade deals and trying to get more countries and other countries on board that aren't purchasing from us now."

President Trump has met recently with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian President Volodymyr Zelensky to try to hammer out a peace agreement in their ongoing war.

"The meeting and the sheer gathering of these countries together to try to get something hashed out, I think it's very important," said Walker. "It's not ever going to go completely the way that each person thinks it ought to go, but that's part of the compromise, but peace in that part of the world is very important. And I think that Trump's done a great job by trying to initiate that peace process."

Walker also congratulated President Trump on getting an agreement from Ukraine for their mineral rights in exchange for some of the aid that we have given them in their war – which has cost American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars.

"The good thing is that now we are getting paid back through the minerals or we have a loan repayment scheme in place that through the minerals," said Walker. "We will get our money back that we just gave away through the last administration."

The Alabama Legislature passed landmark regulation to tax and regulate psychoactive cannabis products derived from hemp. Our neighboring states do not regulate these products.

"Like right now, you can just basically drive to Georgia and get whatever that you want," said Walker. "It seems like, from the sign media over there, but it's shut down in Alabama. So, that does nothing but push your tax money to a different state, really

"There are a lot of people that are involved in the business that are growing, that got the license the appropriate way, that may be shut down or caused to go bankrupt because of them changing the law at this time," continued Walker.

Federal legislation was introduced to regulate or ban psychoactive cannabinoids derived from hemp. That bill has been halted for the next year in the Senate so that members can study the problem more thoroughly.

"There'll probably need to be a federal regulation," admitted Walker.

President Trump is also considering changing the scheduling of marijuana – which currently is treated at the federal level like heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. Despite this 38 states – including Alabama – have medical cannabis laws and some states allow the sale of recreational marijuana.

"I's regulated, you know, on the state levels," said Walker. "We all know that Colorado and stuff like that allows you to, and they sell it through vending machines and different things." "I suppose that it will need some type of federal regulation all the way across, which may be great for the country to set the standards on."

Walker faces stiff competition for the U.S. Senate seat. Attorney General Steve Marshall, Congressman Barry Moore, and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson are all also running for the Republican nomination for the open Senate seat.

The Republican primary is May 19, 2025.

The Heart of Dixie Podcast is cohosted by Alabama Gazette lead reporter and content manager Brandon Moseley and Baldwin County Attorney Harry Still III.

To make a comment or ask a question email: brandonmreporter@gmail.com