U.S. Agriculture Secretary
U.S. Agriculture buzz in a word: Vilsack
December has brought more attention to U.S. agriculture and how the industry is reacting to some of the hottest topics at the forefront of daily news.
Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, an aggressive campaigner for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton before his state’s caucuses in January, has been named U.S. Agriculture Secretary by President-elect Barack Obama. (If his name sounds familiar, in 2004 Vilsack was one of three finalists to be John Kerry’s running-mate. He also campaigned for president himself, but dropped out of the race in February 2007. His unusual stance included cutting subsidies for commodity crops and putting those dollars towards environmental improvements, such as bio-fuel production plants and wind farms.)
Vilsack has been reputed to be an advocate for young farmers and has a defined view on our nation’s place within global agriculture. As a big supporter of renewable energy, he has been a key supporter of Iowa’s ethanol industry, helping to establish the state as the nation’s largest producer of corn.
Q: Where do you think Vilsack will take U.S. Agriculture and will this appointment be a good thing? Very interested in others’ thoughts here.
On other fronts…
