Candid Conversation presents a question-and-answer discussion about the topical issues related to Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) priorities, the agricultural industry, and rural communities. In an exclusive interview, USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden discusses the issues and opportunities facing the ag industry as he settles into his new role. Vaden's family has a long historic presence in far western Kentucky and his home state of Tennessee. He owns two farms, one in each state just miles apart. On July 8, he was sworn in as the new USDA Deputy Secretary.

KFB: Would you share with our readers a little of the background of your Kentucky farm?

SV: The farm in Fulton County, Kentucky is the oldest one that we own and it actually dates back to before the Kentucky State Legislature formally established it as a county. We have the original plaque of the county when it was established, and my ancestor owned this farm in exactly its current dimensions. Now, here we are nearly two centuries later, and the same family still owns the same land. So, I'm immensely proud of that.”

KFB: So often we see a storied history connected to our farm families. How does it feel to have that kind of heritage associated with the farm?

SV: Agriculture really is a family. And if you talk to anyone else who's involved (in the industry), just the fact that you share that common set of values, that common way of making a living, you know what that person is going through, whether it be good or bad, and you can commiserate. That is so important, the family nature of agriculture, that honestly, when we meet, we're not necessarily looking to compete, we're looking for ways to help each other out so that we can all succeed. And that's what makes agriculture so special.

KFB: Farm life has always traditionally had its share of trials and triumphs, there's lots going on, especially today. What are some of the more challenging issues you see facing our farm families today?

SV: Well, obviously the first issue is the low commodity prices and the high cost of production. That is the worst possible combination, and we've got to create more markets for our agricultural goods, whether it be domestic or overseas, because the only thing that is going to cure low commodity prices is more demand. That's what we've got to be focused on at USDA.

KFB: In keeping with the creation of more markets, especially from a trade perspective, we are in the midst of a growing ag trade deficit. What measures can we take to curb that situation knowing it’s not an overnight fix?

SV: It isn't a problem that developed overnight, and it won't be a solution that comes overnight, but what we've got to do is to stop accepting other countries creating barriers to American farmers selling their goods overseas. We've got to have as close as possible a zero-tolerance attitude to anyone who wants to keep an American farmer from selling his or her products to overseas consumers. We know we win because of the quality and the quantity that we produce here in the United States of America, and that's why so many people want to keep our products out of their countries, is because they know they can't compete with us if it's a fair competition.

KFB: Most of the farms that we have in Kentucky, as well as many other states, are smaller family farms. How critical are trade markets are their farms and do you think they fully understand that even the smaller operations have a stake in agricultural trade?

SV: Well, it's really simple. A rising tide lifts all boats. And even if you and your operation may sell only domestically, the prices that you're able to get for your commodities are determined by the total overall demand for those commodities, and that includes international demand for American agricultural goods. If demand is lower, the price you're going to be able to get for those commodities is lower, even if you're only selling domestically. The more people we can get interested in American agricultural products, the higher prices will be, whether you're selling domestically or internationally.

KFB: And we've got some folks in Washington D.C. who are zeroed in on that right now, don't we?

SV: That's right. We've got an entire trade team, and they know, because the President demands, you can't have a trade discussion with the United States unless you're willing to talk about agriculture. And if you're not willing to talk about agriculture, the President isn't interested in making a comprehensive deal with you because you're not being serious.

KFB: We often hear that we grow the safest food supply in the world because of all the regulatory steps required in growing our crops. Yet, some people don't realize that and some are against some of the measures farms take to ensure the success of their crops. What do we say to those naysayers?

SV: If we're talking about a chemical that is used on something that comes from a farm that people eat, it has gone through so many regulatory checks, that it would boggle most people's minds. And you have to keep in mind that the people, the regulators who are doing this, whether we're talking about the Environmental Protection Agency or some other agency, they're not farmers and they're not particularly, to be honest, friendly to ag.

They're looking for anything and everything that could possibly be harmful to say no to whatever it is that's being proposed to be used on a food product. And so if something has gone through that process, the consumer should rest safe in knowing that it is truly safe and they shouldn't give a second thought to it. America has the safest, most efficient agricultural production in the world, and we should be proud of that.

KFB: We often say, "Food security is national security." How do we do a better job of emphasizing to the public that point, especially for all those, not only consumers, but lawmakers who are far removed from the farm, and may not understand how critical is it to keep our farms sustainable today, and for the future?

SV: During President Trump's first term, I served as the USDA representative to something called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. That's the committee that looks at foreign investments in the United States to ensure that there are no national security concerns. Whenever I was dealing with counterparts from other federal agencies, one of the things that I emphasized is, is that if a nation cannot feed itself, nothing else matters. Because the first thing you've got to have in order to have military strength is an army that's fed. So, food security truly is national security.

And I'm happy to see with the debate over foreign ownership of farmland that more people are coming to the understanding that we need to care about who owns our agribusinesses. We need to care about who owns our farmland, and we need to care about whether or not any particular investment in this country could be used to take out of American control and out of American hands our most vital resource, our agriculturally productive land and the technology that we have created to make that land more effective. I'm very optimistic that more people than ever are aware that national security is inextricably tied up with the success of American agriculture.

KFB: Let’s switch gears and talk about getting the next generation coming to the farm. How critical is it to get those younger people involved and what can we do to encourage them to come to or stay on the farm?

SV: In any business, if you want to continue it on, you've got to have a succession plan, and agriculture is no different. We need the next generation to step up. And it is very disturbing how the average age of the American farmer seems to only increase. It seems to me that one of the best things that we can do to get young people involved in agriculture is to make agriculture as productive, profit-wise, as it can be, and right now it's not. And so, you have to have an extra personal drive to be involved in agriculture. We need to work on policies that make agriculture profitable because ultimately, it's that profit that will help draw people to our industry and want to invest in it, want to be a part of it, and want to continue it on for the next generation.

KFB: Farmers have to be the ultimate optimist, and when faced with challenges, often, I they also look for opportunities. What are some of those opportunities that you see for folks on the farm and in the ag industry today?

SV: I'm excited about the fact that some of the adversaries that we may have had in the past are increasingly turned into allies. I think about the biofuels debate, the way the biofuels debate has changed over the last five years is truly astonishing. At one time you had so-called big oil versus ag, and now both of those parties have realized we're not at odds with one another. We're on the same ship because an electric car uses neither oil nor biofuels. And so we can either rise together or we can sink together, but we shouldn't be arguing with one another.

There are so many other issues where that's the case and where people realize that partnering with ag is a value-add for both. And so I think what we've got to do is be open-minded and look out for both traditional and non-traditional alliances because the more people who take an interest in agriculture and come to understand that the way we practice agriculture here in the United States is effective, efficient, environmentally sensitive, and able to feed the world at the least possible price point, there can only be good things that come from that knowledge.

KFB: How important is Farm Bureau and organizations or commodity groups, and all those folks that make up this network of agriculture, this agriculture organizations and industry, how important is that for advocacy purposes, for supportive farmers, just in general?

SV: They're vital because they are the literal grassroots. The members of these organizations, whether it be the Farm Bureau or the commodity organizations, they are the people growing what we eat every day. The concerns that they transmit through their organizations are not made up. They're also the most vital concerns because they're affecting their profit and loss potential and the headaches that they have every day to get their job done. And so it's vital that people participate in these organizations and it's vital that these organizations speak out, like the Farm Bureau. Whenever you have an audience with someone, get straight to the point, and be respectful, but also don't be scared to be blunt and get your message across, because more people need to hear it now more than ever.