Tom Vilsack

It is my intention to be a supporter of the organic industry, and I understand that is a rule that needs to be looked at.

We need to improve the technical assistance that we provide, and I think if we did that, we would see better utilization of the resources and get more help to more people.

Senator, we are going to look for ways in which we can encourage and incent and continue to support the biofuel industry.

I am happy to work with you and your staff on anything that would allow us to advance country-of-origin labeling.

The reality is we are going to need biofuels and the biofuel industry for the foreseeable future.

We are from the Government. We want to affiliate ourselves with a community-building organization that you do trust.

The first responsibility of the Commodity Credit Corporation is to make sure that the farm bill programs are adequately, fully, and timely funded.

To the extent that that vehicle is available without compromising the ability to fund the farm bill programs, it is a great tool for us to create the kind of structure that will inform future farm bills about what will encourage carbon…

Let me say to all the farmers gathered here today in the wake of Hurricane Michael, we are with you and we will stay with you until we rebuild and recover better than ever before.

I hope that we invest this money wisely.

I appreciate your bringing this issue up, and I think you are absolutely right.

We are a very strong believer in the Good Neighbor policy and the stewardship contracting.

thank you for providing an incredible example to the rest of the Congress and the Senate and the rest of the country.

I think there is obviously--given the current state of the ag economy, I think there is the need for a conversation about how many acres in CRP is appropriate.

I think Pennsylvania has received almost--I think it is--if it is not the number one state in terms of resources in this effort, it is the number two state in the watershed.

We need to have a more common-sense approach.

I do not think--it is probably not going to be accurate to suggest that the slight increase that we have seen recently in prices is directly related to that purchase.

People in Colorado know the name Tom Vilsack, and they appreciate the work that you have done.

This is a real effort to get them to play fair.

I think you have set an example, as I have said before, for what principled leadership should look like in a time in our political system when there is almost none.

I hope that is not the case.

There is a phenomenal statistic on the Chesapeake Bay, which I learned recently, which is that 99 percent of the cultivated acres in the Chesapeake Bay Area have at least some conservation practice being utilized.

A $100 billion is a significant amount of opportunity that is being lost because of the subsidy.

I think it would be much more helpful and much more profitable for us to start the conversation with: What is the need?

There is no intent or desire on the part of the USDA, under the time as long as I am Secretary, to sort of foist something on folks without the opportunity for them to understand what it is.