U.S. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

THIS CABINET POSITION IS A CRUCIAL ONE.
How the US moves forward on food and farm policy is vitally important to the future of our country, and world.
(Updated 3/20/09)

CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW?
Yes, you can.

1. Write to the Obama transition team.
2. Write and call Rep. Rick Larsen, Senators Patty Murray, and Maria Cantwell.
3. READ AND VIEW MORE on this from Michael Pollan and Nicholas Kristof.

GOT TIME TO READ A BIT MORE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DECISION?
Former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack has been chosen for this post. Vilsack has:

• Supported cloning of cows;
• Originated the seed pre-emption bill in 2005 which prohibited local governments' ability to regulate seeds - including the decision on where genetically engineered/modified (GE, GMO) crops would be grown, or having GMO/GE-free buffers, among other things;
  
• Vigorously supported genetically engineered(GE/GMO) crops and chemical and energy-intensive industrial agriculture; and
• Often traveled in Monsanto's jet.

Others said to have been under consideration were Rep.'s Charlie Stenholm, Dennis Wolff, Colin Peterson, and John Salazar, all unlikely to support reforms in the Dept. of Agriculture and the Farm Bureau.