Sustainable Agriculture

The following message is a call for support from our friends The Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska, who are organizing a grassroots campaign to affect change in our nation's agricultural policy by petitioning the incoming Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack:

President-elect Barack Obama launched his campaign in Iowa with a promise to create genuine opportunity for rural people and family farmers. Obama proposed changing the failed rural policy of Washington by capping payments to megafarms and enforcing rules against unfair practices by meatpackers in order to strengthen family farms. To revitalize rural communities, he proposed investing in small business development and value-added agriculture.

Obama has announced he will appoint former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture. It is imperative that Mr. Vilsack embraces the goals set forth during Obama’s campaign.

You can urge Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to carry through on the policies Obama campaigned on. Sign the grassroots letter addressed to Secretary Vilsack below and add your own comment about the change you want to see in farm, food and rural community policy.

The Center for Rural Affairs will deliver your signatures to Secretary Vilsack early in 2009.