John Block Reports from Washington

Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the Renewable Fuels Association, Wal-Mart Stores, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.

And now for today's commentary --

It's a new year and we'll see what it brings. Barak Obama will be in the White House and Tom Vilsack will be at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

I was encouraged when Governor Vilsack was designated by Mr. Obama as Secretary of Agriculture. He is from Iowa, a great farm state. He has been a champion for ethanol and biofuels, having chaired the Ethanol Coalition of the National Governors Association. Although there is a loud element in the Democratic Party that adamantly opposes genetic engineering, Governor Vilsack understands how essential it is to embrace biotechnology.

When Governor Vilsack begins working with Congress, it will be like "old home week." Iowa Governor working with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin -- Chairman of the Senate Ag Committee. I might add, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, Senate Finance Committee, should add up to a very impressive power base.

Rural America -- farm and ranch country should have reasonable influence in the White House.

Mr. Obama comes from an ag state -- right next to Iowa. Rural voters gave Barak Obama almost as many votes as Senator McCain. That's much better than Democrats usually do with rural voters.

I see a lot of plusses for ag in the new year. However, the new Secretary will face some serious challenges.

The critics of biofuels are loud and relentless. Animal rights activists want to tell us how to manage our animals. Organic food advocates are no friend of biotechnology. Free trade is under assault. We don't even know what the global warming crowd might do to agriculture. If they blame cows for global warming, we are in trouble.

Governor Vilsack has significant forces in his party that don't support commercial agriculture -- that don't accept new technology, which of course is essential to produce the food and fuel for a hungry world.

No one said it would be easy, but let's look to the future with optimism. Good luck to Governor Vilsack, soon to be Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack.

Until next week, I am John Block from Washington.