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Vilsack Brings Midwest Roots to USDA

One of the first names mentioned for the agriculture secretary position was former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. Despite originally being a supporter of Hillary Clinton after dropping out of the presidential race himself, President-elect Barack Obama picked Vilsack to lead the USDA.

Obama could feel he owes the state of Iowa after getting his momentum building caucus win at the start of the primary season.

Vilsack won the Iowa governor position in 1998, the first Democratic governor in 32 years.

Anytime an agriculture secretary assumes a position, he or she takes on the role of a national spokesman. Vilsack will be called to do the same, although his experience in the No. 2 ag producing state of Iowa can't be ignored once he takes over the helm at USDA.

Vilsack's experience as governor has taught him how to balance impeding demands and deal with constituencies that may not get everything they want, said Mark Maslyn, executive director of public policy at the American Farm Bureau Federation. He's been a champion of biofuels, biotechnology and supported livestock operations.

Monte Shaw, president of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said Vilsack's appointment for USDA head is good news for the biofuels industry. "He knows which end of the cow the distillers' grain goes in. Some of the other Obama appointments so far, in particular the new Secretary of Energy-designee Steven Chu, have caused us some concern. So this may balance things for ethanol."

Current Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said although he hasn't spoken to Vilsack since his nomination, he is "assuming that because of his strong agriculture background in an agriculture state he understands the necessity to drive our economy forward through trade."

As governors, Schafer said he and Vilsack were the cofounders of the Biotechnology Partnership. "I believe, having been a governor from an agriculture state, that he understands the importance of trade for the strength of the agriculture economy. And there's no question about that, that agriculture is the only sector of our economy that has a positive balance of trade. We are not only feeding the world with our technology, with our ability, with our seeds and with our equipment, but we also are providing the base of relationships between countries that get developed through the trade of agriculture products," Schafer said.

On of the greatest tasks Vilsack will face when coming on board is implementing the 2008 Farm Bill. Vilsack will find himself working with fellow Midwesterners Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin from Iowa and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota in continuing the implementation of the 2008 Farm Bill.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "As a forceful advocate for energy independence, alternative fuels, and America's family farmers, Governor Vilsack is uniquely prepared to lead the Agriculture Department. I look forward to working with him on these critical issues, particularly as they relate to the implementation of the new farm bill and its emphasis on both renewable energy and meeting Americans' needs for nutritious food."

John Flicker, Audubon president, said he supports Vilsack's nomination with his strong record of working to meet the nation's need for food and protecting the environment. "He has also shown vision in supporting conservation of important habitat and transitioning our nation to cleaner and more sustainable forms of energy that will reduce climate change," Flicker said.

"Governor Vilsack recognizes that farmers, ranchers and forest landowners have an important role to play in combating climate change," added Robert Bonnie, vice president of Land, Water and Wildlife for Environmental Defense Fund. "He is a strong supporter of a cap and trade program for greenhouse gases, carbon offsets, and other measures to help stop global warming."

In the end Vilsack will take his orders from the President. His valuable experience as a governor has given him the proper "seasoning" to take over the helm at USDA. Every secretary may come into the office with a certain familiarity with their region, but after leaving the office grown to understand the broader scope of agriculture represented in the United States. Vilsack is expected to follow that same pattern.