Andy Vance

Editor’s note: This column was written by The Honorable Tom Vilsack, who was named the 30th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture by President Barack Obama, and confirmed by the United States Senate on Jan. 20, 2009. Prior to leading USDA, Vilsack was elected Iowa’s 40th governor, serving consecutive terms from 1998-2006. A native [...]

Here’s something of a roundup of articles I’ve read this week dealing with the weighty issue of overweight kids, what they eat at school, and ways we can all help our younguns learn to live healthy lives. First, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the First Lady are expected to announce this week higher standards [...]

I’m convinced that of all the subjects about which the average American is ignorant, he may be most ignorant about food and nutrition. I say this, of course, as someone who readily and fully admits that he used to fall squarely in the realm of such a sweeping statement. Why, you might ask, do I [...]

Editor’s Note: The following is an open letter to agriculture stakeholders from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Complexity surrounds American agriculture today. With the recent announcement of USDA’s final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for genetically engineered (GE) Roundup Ready alfalfa and the subsequent meeting to bring together diverse stakeholders for a dialogue, USDA has taken [...]

President Barack Obama announced this week the United States concluded negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement with South Korea. “This deal is a win for American workers,” the President said. “For our farmers and ranchers, it will increase exports of American agricultural products.  From aerospace to electronics, it will increase our manufacturing exports to Korea, [...]