Agricultural News
Kingfisher FFA Member Quizzes Vilsack
Tue, 03 Feb 2015 17:42:02 CST
FFA students got a lesson in government during the recent visit from the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Oklahoma Friday to celebrate the one-year enactment of the 2014 Farm Bill with Congressman Frank Lucas, the former House Ag Chairman. At the town hall meeting at Redlands Community College in El Reno, Colton Smith of the Kingfisher FFA Chapter asked Secretary Vilsack about government funding of conservation programs. To listen to the full question and response click on the LISTENBAR below.
Vilsack said when the Farm Bill passed, it essentially sets goals for each of the priorities such as conservation. Vilsack said it is most important to look at how much was allocated last year and how much will be allocated this year to truly gauge the available funding. He said conservation dollars in the new five-year Farm Bill will go further.
"In the past we didn't have a true mechanism for really encouraging people to really think holistically, comprehensively, partnerships about conservation," Vilsack said. "Now we do and those 115 projects we just funded, that will add at least another $372 million of conservation spending, that might not have occurred in prior years."
In terms of acres enrolled into conservation, Vilsack said enrollment into some programs will be declining while other programs are significantly increasing.
"That's why I am confident in saying we've got a record number of acres enrolled in conservation programs today and we have a record number of producers and we are going to add to that," Vilsack said.
Vilsack also appreciated the question from the FFA member, in stating the youth attending the meeting were the most important individuals in the room, in being the future of agriculture.
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