Vilsack Directs USDA to Review Land Ownership Trends

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has directed USDA's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Advisory Committee to put a special focus on land ownership. According to Red River Farm Network, Vilsack said one-third of the farmland in this country is owned by non-operating farm owners. "This has an impact," said Vilsack. "With the aging nature of our farmers, there is potential for more and more land ownership to get into the hands of folks who are not working the land or are not on the land. I want to be sure that the policies that we have in play at USDA continue to encourage those non-operating land owners to understand the long view as well as the short view." In addition to providing access to beginning farmers and ranchers to land, Vilsack hopes these landowners will also invest in conservation. Vilsack said the last time USDA looked at this issue with any great detail was 1937.  AgNet

They should ask Vilsack how much ag production occurs on the 193 million acres he oversees through the Forest Service?