Ag Matters: Judge Vaden on Investments in Iowa Research

Nashua had a large crowd on September 10th for the 50th Anniversary of the Northeast Research Facility. It reined in farmers, advocates, and it also brought in individuals from the USDA, one of whom was a guest speaker. Deputy Secretary of the USDA Judge Stephen A. Vaden spoke about his presence at the celebration.

His speech revolved around “the facts” and informing the audience of why specific decisions at the USDA are taking place, one of which revolved around the closure of Beltsville Agriculture Research Center or BARC for short.

BARC was established in 1910 and spans approximately 6,500 to 6,600 acres, divided into specialized sections like the North, South, Central, East, and Linkage farms. Over the years the research facility has focused on crop productivity, animal diseases, honeybee health, food safety, and sustainable agricultural systems. However, the USDA announced plans to close and decommission the aging facility due to severe infrastructure decay, rising maintenance costs, and deferred repairs. But it’s not all unfortunate news. Vaden explains,

Having a national institute for germplasm, the living genetic material—such as seeds, plant tissues, or DNA—that is passed down through generations and saved to help breed and protect crops and animals, be located in Ames, Iowa will not only be beneficial to the creation of jobs, to the economy of the state, but the research that could eventually be produced from this facility could be monumental.