Tom Vilsack
Tom Vilsack
Thomas James "Tom" Vilsackis an American politician who has served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture since 2009. A member of the Iowa Democratic Party, Vilsack served as the 40th Governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth13 December 1950
CityPittsburgh, PA
CountryUnited States of America
america political half
More than half of America's rural counties are losing population and with it, political representation.
pyramids giving doe
The food pyramid is very complicated. It doesn't give you as much info in a quick glance as the plate does.
fighting immigration administration
The Obama administration will continue to fight for a comprehensive immigration solution that includes AgJobs and a stable workforce for our farms.
america growth economic
There is more potential for economic growth in rural America than at any time in decades.
jobs thinking worried
Democrats have always historically referred to our families as working families, and I have sort of changed that moniker. I think what we have is a nation of worried families - families that are concerned about job security, families who thought their pensions were secure and now have questions.
scales young farmers
Many young and beginning farmers start out in local markets. Some stay there, and some scale up.
mother kids years
Food during my early years was a very difficult issue for me. I grew up in an addictive family. My mother had serious problems with alcohol and prescription drugs. I was an overweight kid. I can remember back in those days there weren't the strategies that there are today to deal with those issues.
opportunity locals
Local and regional food systems are about opportunity.
america people poverty
And sometimes people don't realize that 90 percent of the persistent poverty counties are located in rural America.
vegetables people focus
If we can get people to focus on fruits and vegetables and more healthy foods, we'll be better in terms of our healthcare situation.
inspirational dance prayer
If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it.
children insecurity nutrition
The lack of access to proper nutrition is not only fueling obesity, it is leading to food insecurity and hunger among our children.
work agriculture america
At President Obama's direction, the U.S Department of Agriculture is working hard to unleash the power of America's innovators and entrepreneurs to build a green energy economy.
mom fighting kansas
President Obama's fight for rural America is personal. He was raised by a single mom and grandparents from Kansas. He hails from a farming state, Illinois.