This essay strikes me as being reasonable. As much as I would like to have an AG secretary friendly to sustainable local agriculture those kinds of changes are only going to happen slowly and not over night. Yes we need small local farms--I for one am trying to make mine profitable--but biotechnology is just science and not something to be rejected out of hand. Regarding policy, maybe this AG secretary, even though he is from Iowa, can make small changes to the subsidy programs to include small farmers. For example we need a freezer and distribution center here in Northern Virginia where local farms can store, retail, and wholesale their products.
How Vilsack handles current trade issues is going to be very interesting. Being from Canada we are very concerned about COOL and the negative impact that it is having on Canada, Mexico and even the US. Protectionism is never a way to develop the long term growth of an industry. I hope that Vilsack shows the courage to try and enable trade and not inhibit it.
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Walker Elliott Rowe
rosewoodhillfarm.com