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FFA members question Perdue on ag issues

FFA students from across the country used a teleconference to ask the new Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue about important ag issues Monday.

FFA members from five schools in Iowa, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Colorado, and Virginia were prepared with serious questions for Perdue about the future of agriculture, transportation infrastructure including the lock and dam system, foreign trade, and conservation programs.

Eau Claire, Wisconsin FFA member Evan Torgerson says one topic brought before the Secretary is very important to Wisconsin farmers.  “I think very importantly was the milk production, with trading with Canada and the United States, and how they’re working to fix that.”

Torgerson was disappointed time ran out for more questions.  “I think we did miss some important issues, say like urban development and what could happen there with the future of agriculture, but I do believe that some very good points were brought up.”

When asked about reducing food waste, Secretary Purdue challenged FFA members to make that a national project, and he also encouraged them to form speaker bureaus to spread the positive message of agriculture to the American consumers.