Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Celebrates American Farmers and Ranchers on National Ag Day

Listen to Tom Vilsack talking about National Ag Day.

In celebration of National Agriculture Day, Ag Secretary, Tom Vilsack shares some comments about the great contributions America’s producers have made to the nation and the world in providing a reliable source of food, fuel, and fiber.

“We are a food-secure nation,” Vilsack said. “Very few nations on Earth have the opportunity to basically say that their farmers, ranchers, and producers produce everything that is necessary to feed the people. Many countries would like to have that advantage. It makes us a much more secure nation.”

National Agriculture Day, Vilsack said, gives Americans the opportunity to remember that America’s strength in producing its own food is national security.

“Every single one of us that isn’t a farmer is able to be a farmer because we do not have to worry about where the food is going to come from to feed our family,” Vilsack said. We just need a paycheck to go to the grocery store.”

Regarding agricultural funding to meet the needs of those in the nation, Vilsack talked about different avenues to do so.

“You can always justify additional resources, but the key here is for folks to understand that it is just one vehicle by which you can address the needs,” Vilsack said. “There is a budget, there is CCC, there is the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the American Rescue Plan…”

There have been discussions about limiting or scaling back on some of those resources, Vilsack said, but to meet every need, every tool and resource counts.

“I think we need to be able to have as much flexibility as possible,” Vilsack said.

To read Vilsack’s statement released in response to National Agriculture Day, click here.

Verified by MonsterInsights