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The Changeover: Farms, Food, Forests, Fuel
Just three weeks into his new job, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joins us Monday to talk farm, food, and forests and take your questions. The former governor of Iowa enjoyed a warm reception in the Senate and was confirmed on Inaguration Day. Good thing he got an early start - there's plenty from salmonella to employee scandals keeping him busy already.
Big issues loom on the horizon too. The US Department of Agriculture oversees forestry and food saftey as well as farming. Biofuels, subsidies, food labels, trade - all that and more come under the umbrella of Ag. Sustainable food writer Michael Pollan wanted to rename USDA the Department of Food. What do you want Vilsack's Ag Department to do?
He takes office as the latest national Census of Agriculture shows a four percent increase in the number of farms, with very large and very small farms doing better than medium sized operations. Oregon shows different trends though, with a four percent drop in the number of farms and an increase in the number of farmers doing something else as their primary occupation.
One of Secretary Vilsack's biggest supporters, Senate Ag Committee Chair (and fellow Iowan) Tom Harkin, thinks the USDA deserves more attention. As he announced on Vilsack's confirmation:
“No department touches every American every day as closely and as intimately as the Department of Agriculture. The food you eat, the clothes you wear, the food safety programs, things happen to our kids in school, what they eat; all of this in the Department of Agriculture.”
Secretary Vilsack's appointment was met with both disappointment and praise. By some accounts, organic producers are split. Critics focus on his support for GMOs and ethanol. But a long time Vilsack watcher found him ready for reform. And in an interview this week Vilsack said his department's constituents are many, including the most basic: people who eat.
Well, that's everybody. What do you want from the new head of the USDA? What would you like to ask him? If you're a farmer or a forester, if you work with livestock, biofuels, food safety or anything else the USDA oversees, share your experience and what you want now.
(Note: forest management is a big enough issue that we'll be devoting a whole show to the new administration's forestry priorities in the coming weeks. We'll probably will spend less time on it this hour.)
Tagged as: agriculture · biofuel · farming · food · tom vilsack
Photo credit: Photo courtesy: U.S.D.A.
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Bravo--well said! Labelling should be required for GMO foods and food products from cloned animals. More must be done to protect the organic food supply from GMO foods and other chemical laden agricultural practices. The price for conventional foods should factor the external costs of GMO foods and make those industries responsible for those costs pay the costs. The conventional media should be making the public aware of these controversial and ecologically destructive practices so that people can make better informed decsions on their food choices.
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What specific actions and policies will the new administration and the Department of Agriculture pursue to support small and medium sized farms, and to strengthen and develop local markets and infrastucture?
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Mr. Secretary, now that commodity prices have dropped back down from their historic highs this summer, have you had success busting the food versus fuel myth and getting people to recognize that ethanol has had a much smaller role to play in rising prices than volatile oil prices.
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The US Department of Agriculture -- or as Michael Pollan suggests the US Department of FOOD -- are both innacurate anachronisms. Society increasingly values rural agricultural environments and communities much more than just for agriculture or food. These landscapes, places people are all about many things -- food, forests, rangelands, water, wildlife, cultural and recreational endeavors -- and the "production" of fuel and ecosystem services that are INCREASINGLY important to all Americans. I reguarly wonder if it would be better dubbed "Department of Rural Sustainability?" In Europe and in many parts of the world society puts a huge value on conserving rural environments and communities. Too often, whether be design or default, Americans seem to view them as vestiges of an agrarian past. After all we are fast moving into an age where we must be more not less self-reliant, and more rather than less committed to stewarding our natural patrimony.
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Invasive species threaten many foudational aspects of agricultural production, ecological health and our native environments. The threat grows exponentially as species establish and spread into our lands and waters. Our rate of new species introduction is also increasing and climate change seems poised to add another layer of complexity. Current budgets for natural resource agencies to research and manage these species are thin at best. I am curious how the USDA will prioritize and integrate invasive species prevention, management and restoration under your leadership?
Mark Porter
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The last ag bill, which was prior to Secretary Vilsack's appointment, showed progress in recognizing commodities other than wheat, corn, cotton, and soy beans. It may have a small positive impact for farmers in Oregon where over 200 different commodities are grown. What is Secretary Vilsack's perspective on expanding the impact of the farm bill to benefit more farms throughout all of the United States?
Many farmers are property rich but poor in cash and liquid assets. Will Secretary Vilsack be an advocate for the American farmer as inheritance taxes are reviewed by the new administration when the Geo. Bush tax plans sunset?
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The President's Forest Plan from the mid-90s, and the Healthy Forest Restoration Act call for moderate, sustainable timber harvest and substantial thinning activity on the National Forests. Here in the Pacific NW, at least, our Forest Service staff are far from compliance with either of these mandates. What will you do to bring the harvest levels up to some reasonable standard?
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We in Eastern Oregon have developed ASR (Aquifer Storage and Recovery) technology to capture high winter flood flows and store them underground for summer irrigation use for the production of food and Biofuels.
With the possible affects that may occur do to climate change and the increasing demand on potable water sources. Is the USDA going to encourage and help fund the development of ASR projects for agriculture use like we in Oregon have pioneered?
Are you willing to encourage your department administrators to actively enbrace this new technology, that has great potential for US agriculture?
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The National Organic Program is having problems with certifiers fudging on certification and producers fudging on production.
What are Secretary Vilsack's plans for improving the NOP?
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Another questioner asked a GMO question, and I want to underscore that.
I support genetic engineering but I share the concern about food, for both people and animals. Cisgenic methods seem much more safe and predictable when it comes to food products.
Transgenic methods, especially crops that require chemical application or leave unnatural concentrations of biotoxins in the soil result in more risky environmental and health consequences. Crops that require chemicals are clearly not sustainable.
USDA’s APHIS has done a poor (being charitable) job of regulating GE crops in the US, and the US government has ignored the Cartagena Protocol on biosafety.
What ag-biotech initiatives do you support, and what is your plan for fixing APHIS regulation of GE crops? Do you support the US signing the Cartagena Protocol?
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Eeek, I mean crops that require pesticides, not just chemicals. That's too broad, and some chemical use may be necessary.
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I live in a forest close to the road, but up on a hill. I live on a farm and have 13 sheep. Lately, we encountered an Arctic Blast that wiped some of our trees down. Our sheep just love those trees! But, how do we know that the trees aren't contaminated and the meat won't be contaminated once we butcher them? Also, the rain washed some of our feed into the wet stuff, and we had moldy alfalfa. We separated most of the mold from the alfalfa that was good, and gave the sheep the good stuff. What kind of stuff should we look for?
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Mr. Secretary, recent estimates claim that improved agricultural practices can reduce levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by 50 ppm in the next century. Do you feel that agriculture will play an important part in reversing climate change? What types of initiatives will you promote to reduce net green house gas emissions in agriculture?
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Mr. Secretary, President Obama has identified slowing global warming as one of his top priorities. Our agricultural system contributes roughly the same greenhouse gases to global warming as our transportation system. Improved agricultural practices, such as organic prodcution methods and methane digesters, could reduce agriculture's contribution to global warming by more than half. What will you do to encourage these practices on a far larger scale to address one of the most pressing issues facing our country today?
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Mr. Vilsack, pears are the state fruit of Oregon and an important specialty crop for Oregon's fruit growers that is also exported around the world. Since the mid-1990's Oregon pear growers have been seeking to gain access to the Chinese market. The USDA has already approved two species of Chinese pears for import into this country and another species is close to approval. What can you and your department do to help Oregon's pear growers gain reciprocal access to China?
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What is the Dept. of Ag. doing to research the benefits of non-traditional types of cattle and other livestock which have less impact on the land and environment, use less energy produced feed supplements, and promote more sustainable forms of agriculture and food production?
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Mr. Secretary, with the huge concentration in the beef packing industry, do you feel the Department of Agriculture will play a role in funding smaller packing plants to provide ranchers with additional marketing outlets and consumers with a wider array of choices?
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Over the last eight years we have seen a constant attack on the scientific underpinnings of decisions related to forest management. Often times, the Forest Service has floated with the political winds rather than carry out the mission the people have entrusted it with.
Can we expect the agency, under your direction, will pay greater heed to science and the management practices that science suggests--namely ones that support clean water, global warming defense, biodiversity protection, etc.
Thanks, Sean
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I'd like to know if he know's Michael Pollan, and if he plans on consulting with him at all?
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Would the Secretary consider funding a domestic Fair Trade certification program, considering Fair Trade's success in raising returns to farmers in other countries?
Thanks,
Hannah Freeman in Bingen, WA
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How does the Secretary view the role of States versus the Federal Governement in supporting the development and use of alternative fuels
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Dear Mr Secretary,
Could you explain COOL (country of origin labeling)? I sometimes see a product with a local address of a distributor but understand that the actual product could originate in another country.
Thanks,
Ron
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Are wealthy farm owners who live in places like Manhattan going to continue to receive farm subsidies?
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In eastern Oregon there is no USDA processing where most meat is produced. This limits producers market choices and eaters ability in rural areas to have healthy meat in their homes and schools. What do you plan on doing to make small scale USDA processing more accessible.
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I am concerned about the rise in health-related illnesses such as diabetes in the inner cities due to lack of fresh, healthy foods and the proliferation of fast food in these areas. What is your approach to this growing problem?
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I would like to see some efforts at funding and pushing home economics in schools, maybe a program of required basics like basic cooking and finances.
I think that if more kids learned to cook, they would eventually demand more and better different foods instead of fast and junk foods. And their demand for better foods to cook for themselves would help small farmers.
Maybe do some field trips to farms big and small and teach them where food comes from and the hows and whys of producing it. And at some age kids ought to learn about raising, slaughtering and butchering animals, so that they are aware and appreciate better how they get their meat proteins.
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I recently participated in a Gorge Grown meeting, a Hood River Oregon Non-Profit organization supporting local organic farmers. One of their initiatives is to get more of their organic foods into the Oregon schools, a farm to school initiative. Do you have suggested contacts or suggestions on how they can make this happen? When do you think we will see more funding for schools to buy organic products?
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Dear Sec. Vilsack,
Mature and old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest store enormous amounts of carbon, more than any other terrestrial system on Earth. Public forests managed by the US Forest Service play a critical role in stabilizing our climate and staving off global warming. What will your office do to protect these forests and trees, our "global warming champions"?
Thank you.
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We're organic farmers in Washington. We're very concerned that so many farmers continue to farm without awareness of the ongoing personal and societal problems created by using chemicals on the soil. Often there are terrible health costs associated with commonly used chemicals approved by the FDA, like atrazine. Also the heavy use of chemicals depletes the soil so nutrition in these crops decreases yearly. How will you support education for farmers that teaches us how to increase nutrition in the food we grow and brings us off our dependency on the chemical model?
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What is the government doing to encourage the conversion from traditional farming to organic farming.
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I'd like to see financial policies that stop and reverse the current consolidation of farms into large conglomerates like Cargill and ADM.
Consolidation chases small farmers out and makes for mono-culture which hurts diversification of foods.
We ought to look at France and how their regional foods are so valued, Spain, and other countries too.
We ought to Re-Value food and De-Value the consolidations and "efficiencies" that Wall Street business people demand.
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I'm concerned about the food supply in general. I support local and organic with an emphasis on REAL food; mainly fruits and vegetables. Technology is taking over, and even with the local and organic process, the issue of GMO's, irradiation, and other technical interference (which I understand that Sec. Viilsack supports) is, I believe not consistent with the organic process, and is something that concerns me, We depend too much on large scale (even local) growers for our food. I choose to grow as much of my own food as I am able, and it's something more people ought to be doing. The food safety issue, I believe is a result of more and more people wanting/needing more and more food, much of which is not really food; packaged and highly processed dead "food" products which fill the pantries of many homes.
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One of the biggest ways that the Department of Ag. effects Oregon is through its control of our National Forests. How will you protect old-growth (read carbon sinks)? How will you protect the recreational values of our National Forests for quiet recreation? Will science or influence of extractive industries guide management decisions?
Oregon has traditionally been one of the biggest supporters of the roadless rule. Will you support it's reinstatement and enforcement?
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Governor Vilsacks comments on organic and renewable energy sound promising and I hope this will result in more support for these avenues rather than big agrobusiness. I have been a huge supporter of organic and local foods for almost 20 years. After converting from a mainly vegetarian diet, six years ago my husband and I started raising on own meat to ensure our own health and that the meat we eat is raised naturally and humanely. We know many other families who are also trying to do raise more of their own meat in their spare time and it is financially challenging, but worth the effort. We initially bought organic feed, but it became cost prohibitive in this recession. We go to great efforts in the rest of our lives to be sustainable with conservation and reliance on solar power. I want to know what Governor Vilsack and the state of Oregon will do to provide more financial incentive for family hobby farmers to make it more attractive and affordable?
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How will USDA balance the supply of food with the desired biofuel crops given the projected lower solar output during solar cycles 24 and 25 (proxy of lower sunspot counts - see deJager/Duwar, Cliver/Svaalgard, and now even Hathaway)?
Given frost zones have moved north 60-100 miles over the last 30 years, how will USDA help farmers adjust to the projected 120-150 mile swing back to the south and the likely effects on farmers abilities to grow crops they have become accustomed to growing in the last thirty years?
Will the focus and research around climate change be broad enough to help regardless of whether climate warms or cools?
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Comments are now closed.
Does Secretary Vilsack believe we understand ALL the ramifications of GMOs such that we implement them in our food supply?
Nature took millions of years to arrive at what we have on Earth today. I don't think our knowledge and understanding of nature is mature enough to serve GMOs willy nilly on our meal tables as we have. I'm concerned about the unintended and unanticipated consequences of our actions which might not be discovered for 20-100 years.