USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack

Discussion of the 2012 Farm Bill is already underway, and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack is taking heat from Ag Committee Republicans who argue the Secretary is not focusing enough on traditional farm programs, but instead is working to devote resources not linked to production agriculture. Vilsack argues the 2012 Farm Bill needs to focus on building rural economies. Secretary Vilsack will discuss the new Farm Bill with Mike Adams today on AgriTalk.

Here are some USDA materials on the 2012 Farm Bill debate:

Overview of Secretary Vilsack’s vision for rural America.

USDA slides on status of rural America.

Highlights from the AgriTalk interview:
Vilsack said his office did not have sufficient oversight of 4-H regarding its decision to allow the Humane Society of the United States to present at the National 4-H Conference. USDA will now be more involved in planning for that conference.

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As mentioned above, the back-and-forth has started on the 2012 Farm Bill. Will the Secretary be pushing for significant changes to the farm safety net?

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Secretary Vilsack said the Kerry/ Lieberman climate bill introduced this week is a good start, but there needs to be more emphasis placed on agricultural offsets and biofuels.

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Are agents selling crop insurance making too much profit? The USDA Secretary thinks so.

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Senators John McCain, Saxby Chambliss and Pat Roberts have criticized the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food program saying “this spending doesn’t appear geared toward conventional farmers who produce the vast majority of our nation’s food supply, but is instead aimed at small, hobbyist and organic producers whose customers generally consist of affluent patrons at urban farmers markets.” Vilsack laughed off the criticism saying the Senators created the program through the 2008 Farm Bill.

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Listen to the entire interview:

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