State corn grower leadership applauded today’s announcement of former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack as President-elect Barack Obama’s pick to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Governor Vilsack established an outstanding record here in Iowa as a capable, pragmatic leader who understood the importance of agriculture,” said Gary Edwards, president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA).
“We look forward to working with him on the national level as we did on the state level.”
Edwards cited especially Vilsack’s recognized leadership on issues like renewable fuels, biotechnology, and rural economic development as important for Iowa and strengths for the USDA secretary.
“In these volatile times with so many challenges facing our nation and our industry, having a strong, knowledgeable leader like Governor Vilsack at the head of USDA is critically important to Iowa’s growers,” Edwards said.
The Vilsack announcement came during a quarterly ICGA board of directors meeting, and state leaders took the opportunity to send him a congratulatory letter signed by 34 growers representing the state’s nine crop reporting districts.