Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack spent plenty of time with members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting on Tuesday. NAFB is in Washington, participating in the organization's annual Washington Watch program. At USDA headquarters, the Secretary and other USDA officers discussed in detail the top issues of importance to agriculture.  

The Secretary placed a great deal of focus on the viability of rural America.  He said that rural economies must be improved to encourage people to keep farming and begin farming. Vilsack noted that there must be an effort to improve rural economies and the farm bill has to be about helping all of rural America and not only farmers.

Secretary Vilsack emphasized that the national conversations about farming must extend beyond financial safety nets and subsidies and those subsidies must be understood outside of farm country. As for biofuel production, Vilsack told the broadcasters that biofuel production could be a great benefit to farmers, rural America and the entire nation.