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Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, 59, began his life as an orphan in Pittsburgh. Adopted in 1951 by local couple Bud and Dolly Vilsak, he graduated from Shady Side Academy in 1968 and went on to Hamilton College in New York, where he met his future wife, Christine Bell. They married in her hometown of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where he practiced law and began his political career as mayor of that city. In 1998 he was elected the first Democratic governor of Iowa in 32 years. He made a bid for president in 2008 but dropped out of the race. President Barack Obama appointed him agriculture secretary in 2009. The Organic Consumers Association opposed the choice, claiming he was a champion of genetically modified crops. The Senate confirmed him unanimously.
Of all the things you wished and worked for did you ever imagine it would be secretary of agriculture?
See the [laughing] No, no. I've been saying as I traveled across the state if my mom and dad knew that I was the secretary of agriculture, they might think there was something radically wrong with the country -- based on my early years. But the fact that I was governor of the great state of Iowa for eight years and practiced law representing farmers in a variety of capacities and worked as a mayor and a state senator on issues that impacted farmers put me in a position to be able to accept this responsibility. It is an everyday, every way USDA. It's involved in so many different aspects.
What kind of impact does this oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have on the USDA?
To a certain extent it somewhat depends on the extent to which the spill involves wetlands that could potentially involve our conservation resource service; the [National Resources Conservation Service] has some responsibilities in terms of federal wetlands. If it compromises those, then we get called into action. Right now our role is limited to the animal and plant folks who are working with any kind of habitat that's damaged by the oil spill and making sure they are properly treated, as well as making sure we are in a position to help states and particularly families that have lost income and jobs as a result of the spill to be able to meet their basic food needs through our food assistance program. Whether we get engaged any further depends on how ultimately severe this situation is going to turn out to be.
How has being a politician affected other aspects of your life?
Actually that's -- in one sense it has allowed me to reconnect with friends; people I went to high school with, people I went to college with, people I went to law school with because you have to reach out to just about anybody who ever knew you to be able to raise the money to run for office. It has also allowed my children to have exposure to experiences that impact and affect the way they look at life.
As secretary of agriculture what keeps you up at night?
The deep concern I have about the economic opportunity or the lack of economic opportunity in rural America. Because of the extraordinary productivity of American agriculture, the rest of us not only enjoy an abundant supply of food, but we also enjoy an affordable supply of food. Most Americans spend 10 to 15 percent less of their take-home pay on food than anybody else in the world. The challenge is there are a shrinking number of folks who produce that food in terms of production agriculture.
Are states like Pennsylvania (which have a lot of farmland) going to become increasingly important in a world faced with food shortages?
I'd say they are going to become important for three reasons. One, we must continue to produce and be productive and help to feed the world. Today one farmer in America feeds 155 people. When I was born it was about one farmer for every 12 people. Two, they will be the source of a good deal of the solution for the country in terms of carbon emissions and climate change. The capacity to sequester carbon in crops and in soil is significant. They will be part of the solution. Finally, if we want to wean ourselves off of foreign oil and oil that has to be drilled in environmentally sensitive areas, then we've got to create an alternative. It's rural American, bio-fuels and renewable energy that will be that alternative.
On one hand we have to feed a massive population, and factory farming is efficient. But factory farming fouls the land and is often not considered humane treatment of farm animals. How do you deal with that?
It is important for people to recognize that reports of certain abuses are often very isolated and represent not the norm and not the rule. The farmers that I know, the farms that I've seen, they are extraordinary stewards of the environment, and they understand they need to treat their animals well. That is their bread and butter. That's how they make their living. The better they treat their animals the chances are they will have a more prosperous living. You should see the extraordinary lengths that American agriculture, farmers and ranchers are going to improve the environment. The resources they are spending from their own pocket to make sure waters are preserved, to make sure we have rich and nutritious soil to produce that abundant source of food.
What about the controversy over the safety of genetically modified seeds and animals?
There's no scientific evidence, proof, test, that anyone can point to that establishes in any way, shape or form any known hazard associated with genetically modified crops to individuals or to animals.
So why all the fuss?
I think there is a set of challenges in terms of how we create a world in which those who want to farm organically and those who wish to use the opportunities that genetically modified organisms present can do so and co-exist. In my view it isn't an either or situation. It is how do we ensure that both have a good opportunity to survive and succeed.
Is urban farming a feasible solution -- the skyscraper as farm, with floors of crops, that protect crops from drought, frost, floods?
It is. In fact the city of Detroit is looking at a very extensive urban farming idea. It has thousands and thousands of square feet of factories and dilapidated commercial structures that need to be torn down. The question is what do you do with that open space? Urban farming is one of the strategies. We are encouraging people to consider gardening through The People's Garden Initiative and the First Lady's White House Garden initiative as a way of reconnecting with how food is produced and reconnecting with nature in urban centers. We are particularly interested in young people being engaged in that because it allows them to get outside and be physically active. That will help us on the obesity issue we are dealing with. We have a serious challenge with a third of our youngsters being obese or at risk for being obese. Part of the reason is the school lunch and school breakfast program.
You have admitted to being an overweight kid who was bullied in school. Did that experience help you develop the kind of thick skin needed to get into the public arena?
Well, I think it helped me develop the thick skin, but unfortunately my skin is too thick because I haven't quite figured out this eating situation. You know, I struggle with my weight. I think most people who start out life overweight, many of us struggle [with it] on a daily basis. I'm pretty good at working out and being physically active. I think that's helped me maintain my weight, but it's a struggle.
Mackenzie Carpenter's video program, "Omnivore," is available exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.
