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Media reports indicate that former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack will be named President-elect Barack Obama's new Secretary of Agriculture. The announcement comes as a surprise to many, including Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, after Vilsack said three weeks ago that he was not in contention for the job.
Grassley said as governor Vilsack "had a firsthand look at the role of agriculture in our global economy" and the news is welcome news for agriculture.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin and the other Iowa senator said Vilsack, "knows production agriculture and he knows the changes we need to ensure its profitability and future, including for young and beginning farmers and ranchers. Tom Vilsack has the experience, dedication and forward-looking thinking critically needed to build a better future for all Americans in food, agriculture, conservation, and the economic vitality of rural communities. With these qualifications and his strong Iowa roots, I hope he is indeed nominated for this position."
National Farmers Union president Tom Buis, another name commonly mentioned for the post, called Vilsack a "great choice" and said Vilsack "has an understanding of the challenges and opportunities that exist in rural America."
Policy is one of the most important issues facing farmers today, but often the most difficult to digest. Jacqui Fatka has a passion to decode the often difficult world of agricultural policy into terms understandable for today's ag players.
Fatka joined the Farm Progress team as E-Content Editor in August 2003 after graduating from Iowa State University. Prior to full-time employment with Farm Progress, she interned at Wallaces Farmer magazine, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley's press office and the Iowa Pork Producers Association and freelanced for National Hog Farmer. She also worked as a public relations consultant with Iowa Industries for the Future, an effort to bring together major players in the biorenewables industry.
Currently Fatka is a staff editor at a sister publication, Feedstuffs. For Farm Futures she regularly tells the story of ongoing agricultural policy changes. Her byline can also be found on management profiles.
Fatka grew up on a grain and livestock farm near Atlantic, Iowa. She currently lives in central Ohio with her husband Eric.
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