FORMER IOWA GOVERNOR TOM VILSACK WILL BE LEAVING HIS ROLE AS U-S AGRICULTURE SECRETARY IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
VILSACK WILL HAVE SERVED THE SECOND-LONGEST TENURE AS THE NATION’S TOP AG OFFICIAL.
VILSACK1 OC……..ME IN THIS OFFICE.” :22
VILSACK GREW UP ON THE EAST COAST AND AFTER GRADUATING FROM LAW SCHOOL, MOVED TO HIS WIFE’S HOMETOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT.
HE WAS ELECTED AS THE TOWN’S MAYOR, THEN AS A STATE SENATOR BEFORE HE WON TWO TERMS AS IOWA’S GOVERNOR.
VILSACK WAS SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND PRESIDENT BIDEN ASKED HIM TO RETURN TO THE ROLE FOUR YEARS AGO.
VILSACK2 OC………OF THE ’80S.” :18
VILSACK SAYS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS SECOND RUN AS U-S AGRICULTURE SECRETARY HAS BEEN SEEING AN UPTICK IN THE NUMBER OF FARMS IN IOWA.
VILSACK3 OC………GOOD ABOUT IT.” :24
THE U-S-D-A CONDUCTS A CENSUS EVERY FIVE YEARS.
THE LAST CENSUS IN 2022 FOUND THE NUMBER OF FARM UNITS IN IOWA HAD INCREASED BY ABOUT ONE PERCENT THE NUMBER OF FARMERS HAD INCREASED SEVEN PERCENT FROM 2017.
VILSACK SAYS THE COMMODITY-BASED SYSTEM HAS REWARDED SIZE AND HE’S PROUD OF PROGRAMS AT THE U-S-D-A THAT HELPED INCREASE THE NUMBER OF IOWA FARMS OPERATING ON FEWER THAN A THOUSAND ACRES.
VILSACK4 OC……….AND GLOBALLY.” :26
VILSACK IS NOT PLANNING TO RETIRE, SAYING HE HOPES TO GET A CHANCE TO FIGURE OUT WAYS IN WHICH HE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION.
VILSACK TURNED 74 ON DECEMBER 13TH.
RADIO IOWA
