U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will make his sixth visit to Commodity Classic, the annual convention and trade show for corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum growers. The secretary will deliver a keynote address to several thousand farmers and ag allies during the event’s General Session, to be held Friday, Feb. 27, in Phoenix, Arizona.
“We’re thrilled to be welcoming Secretary Vilsack back to Commodity Classic,” said National Corn Growers Association President Chip Bowling. “With so much going on in our nation’s capital that impact their lives, the audience will be eager to get his report on the top issues facing our growers, such as trade and the farm bill. He always provides an experienced, deep-inside-Washington perspective.”
“Secretary Vilsack has been a strong voice and advocate for agriculture, and we’re looking forward to his joining us once again at Commodity Classic, where he can not only speak to growers but hear from them as he visits our trade show,” said American Soybean Association President Wade Cowan. “We’re grateful for his support on the recent farm bill and his leadership on other policy actions that affect our members. Secretary Vilsack understands and appreciates our role in making America great.”
Secretary Vilsack was appointed by President Barack Obama as the 30th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and took office in January 2009. He was reappointed soon after the president’s re-election in 2012. Previously, Vilsack served two terms as governor of Iowa.
The 20th annual Commodity Classic takes place Feb. 26-28, 2015, at the Phoenix Convention Center. Established in 1996, Commodity Classic is America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and trade show, produced by the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers and National Sorghum Producers. Starting in 2016, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and many of its members will be joining the event.
Click here for more information about Commodity Classic.