Thanks for the post Tom.  One of your points that I wanted to reiterate, namely that Vilsack is unlikely to lead food and rural policy in new, more sustainable and just directions without a big push from all of us.  Of course, I've never known this not to be true of a Secretary of Agriculture.  But, I've always known Vilsack to be willing to listen so, perhaps, there is an opportunity for all of us to push for the kind of leadership we've wanted from the Secretary of Agriculture for a long time.

Did anyone read Alan Guebert's column about meeting Tom Vilsack at an Iowa Farmers' Union meeting ten years ago?  On Vilsack's campaign literature, according to Guebert, there was no mention of his party affiliation. He was running to succeed a popular Republican... Guebert asked an aide if Vilsack was running as an independent since there was no indication of any party. Guebert took it to mean he was a big middle of the roader and trying to get votes from both Republicans and Democrats without actually saying anything.  If Guebert is right, the story illustrates that Vilsack could go either way -- Guebert posits that if has higher political ambitions, he'll carry out Big Ag's agenda. If he doesn't then he may do some things to make USDA lean more sustainable.... Still doesn't give me much hope. On a brighter note -- I had heard that Michelle Obama may take food as part of her portolio -- anybody else heard that?

Eating local makes you happy.

Based on Obama's choice of Vilsack, the fact that Marshall Matz was Obama's agriculture team leader for most of the campaign and a recent Chicago tribune op-ed by Matz and George McGovern (a big fan of GM crops), I really don't see Obama as doing much to change agriculture policy. I hope I am wrong, I really do.

Matz has formerly worked as a lobbyist for DC firm Olsson, Frank and Weeda. His clients included National Meat Assn. Novartis AG, Altria Group (formerly Philip Morris), McDonald's, and others. Obama also had former Monsanto VP Michael Taylor (they guy who wrote the original rBGH rules for FDA) on his advisory team.

None of this gives me much hope, perhaps a McCain ag program would have been worse, so have we again chosen the lesser of two evils?