tom-vilsack

Feds pledge more than $1 billion to plant trees in cities

BY: - September 14, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced hundreds of grants that total about $1.13 billion to plant new trees and maintain them in cities across the country. Tom Vilsack, the federal agriculture secretary and former governor of Iowa, traveled to Cedar Rapids Thursday to highlight the spending, which is being funded through last year’s Inflation […]

Vilsack pitches ‘forward-thinking’ approach to agriculture in visit to Harrisburg

BY: - August 18, 2023

With the existing federal farm bill set to expire on Sept. 30 and negotiations between lawmakers still ongoing, Vilsack said the department has yet to see draft legislation for a new farm bill from either chamber. 

A farmer works with a tablet computer in a field (Getty Images).

U.S. Department of Agriculture to spend $300M to boost climate data in farming, forestry

BY: - July 12, 2023

Agriculture and forestry are key sectors in advancing Biden’s climate agenda, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

Pa.’s Fetterman, U.S. Senate Dems seek answers from USDA on SNAP program changes

BY: - June 26, 2023

'We remain concerned about the changes to eligibility and increases to work requirements overall,' the lawmakers wrote.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack talks trade at a Woodward, Iowa farm on 8/18/22 (Photo by Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch).

Federal government has given $800M to keep indebted farmers afloat

BY: - October 19, 2022

Pennsylvania's farm loan obligations totaled $69.4M, according to federal data.

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USDA to spend $500M extending high-speed internet to rural America

BY: - September 26, 2022

The current funding stream was targeted to upgrade existing infrastructure, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

Biden administration plays long game for agriculture and trade

BY: - August 19, 2022

'Costs on my farm are up by about 325 percent,” Lance Lillibridge, of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, said. 'It’s getting to be unbearable.'

USDA pledges $1B for ‘climate smart’ ag products

BY: - February 8, 2022

The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or sequester carbon in those industries, federal officials said Monday.

Ag. Sect’y Vilsack keys in on food insecurity, nutrition in budget request; Pa. other states impacted

BY: - April 14, 2021

In 2019, more than 35 million people were experiencing food insecurity, but that number jumped to 42 million during the pandemic, according to Feeding America, which is a network of food banks across the U.S.

Ag nominee Vilsack battles skepticism from Black farmers ahead of Tuesday confirmation hearing

BY: - February 1, 2021

Black farmers also say that at the USDA under Vilsack, agricultural census data was distorted to falsely show that there was a boom in the number of Black farmers.