Perdue: Young Farmers Must Address A Host Of Problems

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue recently sat down with students and young people at Kansas State University.  He said those interested in a career in Ag need persistence, optimism and a can-do attitude.

"While we have to rely on the lessons of the past, we've got to look to the future of understanding there are different customer demands. Our consumers today want to know not only that food is healthy and safe and affordable and nutritious, they want to know everything that went into it."

Perdue noted that farmers need to operate with more transparency than their parents.

"It's important to be socially-minded in nutrient run-off and other types of things, animal welfare issues, and to do things honorably and in a good way."

Another challenge Perdue noted is communication.

"No longer can we stand behind the farm-gate and say, you know, I just grow it, you eat it. We've got to be marketers of what we do."

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