the national view: New opportunities for Farms and Ranches

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack takes the reins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at a critical time, with farmers increasingly called upon to produce food, fiber, energy and environmental benefits while helping the nation transition to a green economy.

In December, President Barack Obama selected former Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa to be the United States Secretary of Agriculture; in January, the U.S. Senate confirmed Vilsack by unanimous consent. Vilsack provided answers to American Farmland Trust on questions relating to farmland protection, support for local foods, and the role of farmers in a new “green” economy.  

Q. Land is most vulnerable when it passes from one generation to another, or when farms are not economically viable. The average age of farmers is now 57.1, up from 55.3 in 2002. Older operators, age 55 and up, manage the majority of the nation’s farmland (57 percent). Given this alarming data, what policies and programs will you propose to support the transfer of farm operations and land to younger and beginning farmers?

The aging population of farm operators is a real concern to USDA: it calls into question the future stability of American agriculture and puts at risk the promise that our land will continue to feed America’s families for generations to come. One way we directly address this problem is by targeting a portion of the Farm Service Agency’s direct and guaranteed farm ownership and operating loan funds to beginning farmers and ranchers. 

We are working hard to communicate the availability of this support to potential beginning farmers, and so far nearly $90 million dollars, or more than 50 percent of the $173 million in direct operating loans made available by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, has gone to beginning farmers. 

USDA also addressed these issues when it announced, in early April, $17 million in new grants through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program for state and local governments, non-profits, community-based organizations and academic institutions to design education, training, technical assistance and outreach programs to help beginning farmers and ranchers.

But addressing the aging population of farm operators must go well beyond removing the barriers to farm ownership and success for younger generations. For nearly 40 percent of farming families, the primary operators work off the farm for more than 200 days per year. To farm successfully, many farm families need off-the-farm jobs. That is why USDA is working to revitalize the rural communities where most of America’s producers raise their families and make their homes. We are working to build modern, 21st century rural communities and create better economic opportunities so that young people continue to choose to build lives for themselves in rural America whether or not they were raised there. 

Finally, USDA is working to encourage, teach and inspire the next generation of farmers. Through our partnerships with 4H and FFA, organizations with a total membership that exceeds seven million, we are teaching younger Americans about the value and dignity of a life connected to the land and preparing them to meet the challenges of the changing agricultural economy. We are committed to providing a lifetime of educational opportunities for those who choose a career in agriculture, which is why we provide a host of funding and opportunities through the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service for individuals to pursue the learning they need to find exciting opportunities in agriculture.  

Q. According to the recent Census of Agriculture figures, the demand for local food is way up, as is the number of farms providing their products directly to consumers at roadside stands, farmers markets and other venues. In an interview you recently reiterated your support for local food, stating, “…in a perfect world, everything purchased and consumed would be local.” Unfortunately, while the demand for local food is rapidly increasingly, many communities lack the infrastructure and distribution capacity needed to support local and regional food systems. What can we do to change that?

One of USDA’s priorities is to support and encourage a sustainable, safe and nutritious food supply for America. We believe in the mantra ‘Buy Fresh, Buy Local’ because it will help conserve our natural resources, combat climate change and provide our children with healthier diets. That is why it is critical that we work to support family farmers and midsized operations so that we open up more opportunities for Americans to consume local food, while maintaining fairness in American agriculture.

USDA also offers programs, like the Farmers Market Promotion grants, designed to directly target the problem of lack of access to local foods. Grants from this program work to expand direct producer-to-consumer markets and encourage the development and promotion of farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agritourism, and other direct-marketing channels.

Q. In both the farm and environmental communities, there is a growing interest in developing new “ecosystem markets” that place a value on the many environmental benefits that farms and ranches provide—including drinking water filtration, flood control, wildlife habitat and carbon sequestration—so that landowners can be paid to produce them. What can the federal government do to help establish these new public and private ecosystem markets so that farmers can be compensated for producing environmental services along with their crops?

Ecosystem services markets, along with conservation and renewable energy programs, offer farmers and ranchers new sources of revenue but also create public benefits for all Americans, such as clean water, clean air, and wildlife habitat.

I have directed USDA to support developing ecosystem markets that reward producers for sequestering carbon and limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Through the authority provided under the 2008 Farm Bill, USDA will develop the metrics and certifications associated with conservation, carbon sequestration and certain land management activities to facilitate the participation of farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners in the emerging environmental services markets. USDA will also increase its research and analytical capabilities and conduct government-wide coordination activities to encourage the establishment of ecosystem markets. 

Q. How can we address the growing epidemic of children’s obesity and diabetes with improvements in our school lunch programs and supplemental feeding programs?

Our country is facing a health care crisis. Costs are rising at unsustainable rates while we face an epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes, and a lack of attention to disease prevention and a healthy lifestyle. At USDA we are making a major effort to focus on wellness, nutrition and healthy eating. We will work to ensure that the food supply that America’s farmers and ranchers produce, and that America’s children consume, is part of the solution to the health care crisis. 

USDA will make a major push to embrace fruits, vegetables, specialty crops and nutritious food as we work to reauthorize the School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. We will encourage local food production and sales, and seek out ways to get this nutritious food supply into the hands of institutional purchasers. 

Just last month, USDA made a change to one of our signature food assistance programs to work toward improved nutrition, when for the first time WIC began to distribute new food packages that include fruits and vegetables, whole grain products and reduced-fat dairy options. USDA is also using WIC, other food assistance programs, and MyPyramid.gov, our dietary recommendation Web site, to educate consumers about healthy diets and healthy lifestyles. 

But nutrition education and promotion and food availability outside the scope of USDA’s nutrition assistance programs must also be part of the equation, which is why we are committed to opening a dialogue about the benefits of decreased consumption of sodium and trans-fats, potential changes to nutrition labeling and competitive foods policy for school cafeterias.

Q. The potential bioenergy supply from farm sources—corn, animal manure, CRP lands, agricultural residues and energy crops—could represent almost 20 percent of the U.S. energy demand, and more than 80 percent of current U.S. petroleum energy demand in the on-road transportation sector. What will you do to support the technological advancements that still need to be made in order for farms to realize their potential in providing responsible, renewable energy?

As America gets serious about combating climate change, and moving toward energy independence, it is essential that USDA helps America’s farms, ranches and rural communities make sure that we expand the capacity of our land to produce alternative forms of energy. This means developing existing renewable energy sources like wind energy, biofuels, solar panels and anaerobic generation as well as conducting research into new energy opportunities. 

At USDA we recognize that renewable energy and new technologies present incredible economic opportunities for America’s farmers and ranchers. But renewable energy technology cannot stand in place and expect to be the answer to our energy future.  To sustain and expand renewable energy production, we must improve our biofuels and our ability to produce them from a variety of feedstocks. 

The 2008 Farm Bill alone provides $1.1 billion in mandatory funding to support the development and expansion of renewable energy in America. USDA is making efforts to accelerate the farm bill programs designed to identify new feedstocks and to establish bio-refineries across the country to convert these feedstocks to fuel. We will also provide assistance to farmers who want to raise these new energy crops, and assistance to help farmers harvest, transport and store them. Finally, we are working to coordinate our efforts with the Department of Energy, so that the federal government is unified in its efforts to develop the next generation of biofuels. 

Q. Studies indicate that changes in agricultural practices, paired with the foresting of marginal agricultural lands, could offset up to one-fifth of current U.S. greenhouse has emissions—and do so for relatively low cost compared to the changes needed in other industries. This represents a tremendous economic opportunity for agricultural landowners to become key players in the new green economy. Currently, however, many farmers do not see this as an opportunity because they fear the possibility of more regulation. What is your view on how to make sure that agricultural leaders and organizations are involved in crafting climate change solutions to maximize the participation of farmers and ranchers in reducing greenhouse gases?

The agriculture and forestry sectors hold the potential to deliver substantial greenhouse gas emission reductions, from carbon sequestration and mitigation to renewable energy generation. USDA will work to ensure that America’s farmers, ranchers and forest owners are involved in shaping a national climate change policy, and that they are included in any new economic opportunities that may be created as part of these national or international policies. We will work to educate stakeholders in the climate change debate, including American’s farmers and ranchers, so that they fully understand the incredible opportunity for greenhouse gas mitigation that America’s agricultural and forested lands offer.