Green Options » Agriculture Secretary

Can Local Food Survive The Global Downturn?

Kay Sexton — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:53:54 +0000

The number of farms in the USA has increased by 4% since 2002. Most of the new agriculture is small, part-time and family run, which means that instead of being self-sustaining, most new farms need at least one family member to be working off the farm to generate income – this is an increasing trend too: in the last decade the number of farms that require farmers to have off-farm jobs too has risen from 55% to 65%. And nearly half the farms who reported income in 2007 earned less than $3,000 in sales. That’s hardly a living wage.

Former Iowa Gov. May be Obama’s Choice for Agriculture Chief

Nick Chambers — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:53:10 +0000

Tom Vilsack — former two-term Governor of Iowa, strong biofuels supporter, and former democratic candidate for president himself — has been leaked as President-elect Obama’s frontrunner for Agriculture Secretary.

From a biofuels standpoint, the choice of Vilsack would be a clear indication of the direction an Obama administration would likely take. As a political leader from a corn farming state, Vilsack has shown strong allegiances with the corn ethanol industry in the past and has been an outspoken advocate of alternative energy.