WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE (WIA)
WIA Employee Group Kickoff Event
Jamie L. Whitten Building - December 2, 2016
Speech from Secretary Vilsack
I want to thank you very much. I really appreciate that introduction. It's a very personal introduction and frankly that's sort of why I'm hesitant to be introduced because far too often people feel the necessity of taking a canned introduction and I just think when it comes from the heart it's so much better. My good friend and colleague, KrystaHarden, welcome back. I'm really glad you didn't really leave the department (laughter). She has been a great friend and just a passionate advocate for agriculture, for women, for rural America, and I've been very proud to work with her.
You're going to have to excuse me today. I know what the briefing said I was supposed to talk about and I will get to that, but I would like to take this opportunity because this time of year is the time of year when many families begin to think about the holidays and being with good friendsand in a week or so, I will have another birthday. And when I have one of those birthdays, I am forced to think of my birth mother. The woman whom I've never met. A woman who was 23 years of age, who had been employed prior to the pregnancy, and as a result of her pregnancy not only lost her job, but was also required to go into what was referred to as a foundling house for unwed mothers. She had taken a pseudonym and lived there for 4 months before I was born, and then lived there for another month after I was born, and no doubt had to make an incredibly difficult decision. And I suspect, although I'll never know, that the reason she chose not to raise me was because she didn't feel that she could economically do so in an appropriate way. That began my life with women that matter.
My mom, the woman who had adopted me at a very early age and loved me dearly, as many of you know, struggled my whole life with alcohol and prescription drug addiction. But she never stopped loving me and by virtue of strength and character, and by virtue of a community that was supportive, and by virtue of her being fortunate enough to have access to treatment, she turned her life around. She reunited our family and in doing so provided an incredible example about never giving up on something you believe in or someone.
During my mom's difficulties, it was my grandmother, who I refer to as BeBe, who came to our home and who was in essence a second mom. Bebe was an incredible individual. A woman of deep faith. She raised four children on her own for all intents and purposes following the crash of 1929. Shortly after the stock market crash, her husband, who was a practicing lawyer, suffered a debilitating stroke that made it so he couldn't work anymore. For a number of years, she took care of him and four small children. Just an incredible woman of faith.
My sister Alice, who is no longer with us, she taught me a valuable lesson on loyalty. She never gave up on my Mom and I will always remember my dad talking about my sister as a person of great loyalty. But she was also a risk taker. When she contracted the flu and it got into her heart she went from a vibrant 40-something year old woman to a person who could barely get up the steps. She was, 30 years ago, willing to take the risk of having a heart transplant and it allowed her to live long enough to see her son graduate from college and her daughter graduate from high school. She was fearless.
In my political life, I have been surrounded by incredible women. When I went to the State, well when I was elected Mayor of Mount Pleasant, a town of 8000, I quickly realized Florence Altman, who was the City Clerk and had been the city clerk maybe since the beginning of time, knew more about that city government than I would ever know. She wasn't college-educated, she wasn't a sophisticated person, but she was really knowledgeable and she cared deeply about the city. She made sure the books balanced and she made sure that she said in an effective way, “Mr. Mayor, you're about ready to make a very serious mistake and you may want to think about that course of direction.”
From there I went to the State Senate. When you get elected to the state senate, at least in Iowa, the first day of the session is like the first day of school. I don't know whether this is still true in school, but the first day of school was always about where you were going to sit and how exciting it was to get your seat. Well if you have little seniority, which obviously a freshman Senator doesn’t have much of, you are some of the last people to get your selection. But I was fortunate enough to sit next to Patty Judge, who eventually became the first woman Secretary of Agriculture in Iowa. To my left was Patty and to my right was Elaine Szymoniak. Elaine was one of the most powerful forces in the State of Iowa for women, for children, and she was my mentor as a State Senator. See shepherded me through the process for six years and when I decide to run for Governor, she was incredibly supportive.
And then when I ran for Governor, I had to choose a Lieutenant Governor. Normally when you pick someone that you want to run with, your first inclination is to pick someone who's been in office before. You pick a State Senator, you pick a State Representative, you pick up a Mayor, or supervisor. I didn't do that. I picked a woman who had never been in office before, had never run for anything, who actually had considered maybe running for the school board someday. But I picked her because she was the mother of a child with autism and in that role she was not only a wonderful mother and a loving mother, but she was also a great advocate. And in doing so she created an effort to raise the awareness of autism and to raise everyone's awareness of the importance of understanding and appreciating that each one of us has unique possibilities and unique capacities. And regardless of how severe a disability may appear to be, in fact if you look deep enough you'll see that glimmer that makes it wonderful to know them and in this case wonderful to know well, her son. Sally became my partner. She was tireless. She was loyal. She was incredibly focused on expansion of services, mental health services, and services to those with disabilities, and she began the lesson of teaching me how to be a more inclusive thinker.
And then I came here. As Alexis has pointed out, I've had incredible privilege to work very closely with what I refer to as strong-willed women. And I have made conscious decisions to be surrounded by strong-willed women. This is not a situation where, you know, “Mr. Secretary you’ve got to have a few women...” That's not it. This is how the place works well. If you have people from different backgrounds, different walks of life, different life stories, different challenges they’ve had to overcome, that you give them an opportunity to work collaboratively as a team. I think women are more inclined to be able to do that, as a general proposition, and I want a creative workforce. I want creative problem solvers. I want people who understand how to collaborate and how to connect.
And of course I'm married to an incredible woman who started a college for women. The first one that had been started in this country in 50 years, back in 1968, so my life has been surrounded by incredible women. And now we come to this issue of which you are all a part of because it makes a difference to a country. It makes a difference to an industry. It makes a difference to a community. It makes a difference to a Department. That we encourage women from all walks of life, all ages, all races, from those were born here to those who have come here, to be part of an effort to educate the rest of the country about why it's important to have women engaged in agriculture and ag-business. Why it’s incredibly important in every level of government and every Department, that the government not only have women working, but also have them leading.
So I don't have any hesitation about being part of this effort that Krysta has started with great passion, and as you know, she believes very strongly in all of us to be able to do this. And I am incredibly proud of Alexis for taking the torch from Krysta and basically understanding that there needed to be a focus and a structure. That there needed to be a group that focuses here at USDA,one that specifically that focuses outside of USDA, and one,yes, which focuses internationally. As Krysta knows very well, about 70% of the world's farmers are women. Now that doesn't mean that 70% of the people in farming get credit for what they do because they don’t. In many, many countries, women who farm are not considered and not even allowed to own a farm. Not even allowed to have income. Not allowed to even say I am a farmer in the family.
So there is incredible work that needs to be done internationally, but you can't suggest to other countries that they need to change their business unless you've shown a consistent pattern in your own country. And that means that we have to continue to press the case on agricultural groups, commodity reports, and commissions and in leadership positions in those organizations that represents “farmers”. That it reflects the growing diversity of people in farming. Over 30% of operators today in this country are women, but if you add all of those partners, those women who work on the farm, driving the columbine, driving the tractor, doing the bookwork, making the orders and so forth, who may not necessarily be perceived even in their family or in their communities as farmers, but if you add up all of those folks, the majority of the farmers in this country are women. And that needs to be recognized and respected.
And within this department, there needs to continue to be, an ever increasing number of women in positions of authority. Now I’m pleased that we were able to make some progress during this Administration; however, what I’m most interested in seeing is what happens five years from now and ten years from now because many of the women we have working here are now in career positions and if they stick it out and stay with it, there is a tremendous opportunity for advancement. And if the next Secretary or the next several Secretaries invite me back at some point in time, I’m going to be very interested to see how many SHE has selected to head a mission or how many SHE has put in positions as Administrators or what the percentages are under HER Administration. Krysta pointed out how many portraits there are around here, with the exception of that one (pointing to Secretary Ann Veneman’s portrait) they are all pretty much the same and so we need to see more of this (pointing to Secretary Ann Veneman’s portrait) because if we want young girls to see the possibilities, they actually literally physically have to see it. They can’t read about it or can’t be told about it, they can’t just be encouraged and inspired. They have to SEE it.
And that’s what you are. You’re the visual that is absolutely essential and necessary in every part of this country, and particularly rural areas. They have to see you in a positive leadership positions. They have to see you, as Alexis said, “at the table.” Participating at the table. You know, there’s at the table and then there’s AT the table. We’ve all been in those meetings. And I’ve been in far too many of them in the last eight years where there is a woman at the table, at the end of the table, and she is there and she has a title, but she never speaks. She’s never invited to speak unless a question is directed to her. So we need to make sure when you are at the table, you’re literally participating.
And we need to see executives in ag-business, and members of boards of ag-businesses be reflective of the population because when we get to that point, here’s what’s going to happen. Agriculture is going to be more diverse and it’s going to be expanding and it’s going to be a place of opportunity that young people, whether they’re in elementary school, or high school, or community college, or college, will see the opportunity. We’ll see corporations and entities representing ag-business doing a better job of collaboration and communication so that instead of the conflict, instead of certain aspects of agriculture constantly at war with one another, we will see a concerted effort to find common ground. And the result will be a healthier and more sustainable agriculture in this country, and a more sustainable and healthy ag-business economy and a more creative and innovative USDA.
And if we can get our house in order, then we can work with other countries and begin the long work of recognizing that when you work on a farm, you ought to be able to own a farm. When you work the farm, you ought to be recognized as a farmer. When you work the farm, you ought to be able to pocket the income. And when that happens, we are going to see a safer and more secure world. We’re going to see children better fed. We’re going to see economies become more vibrant. I’m not exaggerating the significance of what you all are about here. There are ripples of impact.
So I appreciate the opportunity to spend a few minutes speaking personally, and I challenge all of you to understand the opportunities that we now have. And for those who are politicals who will be leaving in a few weeks, the battle continues. The opportunities need to be supported, as Krysta is doing, and for the career folks who are here, it’s your legacy. It’s your responsibility. It’s your opportunity to make a difference. A big difference. And not just in this Department, not just in Agriculture, but in the world. Take it. Seize it. Be proud of it. And make sure your son’s and daughter’s know what you are doing, particularly your son’s, so that they understand as they grow up, that everyone belongs at the table and everyone has a voice.
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