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Secretary of Agriculture petition

By clock on December 8, 2008.

If you agree with this petition, sign it:

Dear President-Elect Obama,

We congratulate you on your historic victory and welcome the change that your election promises to usher in for our nation. As leaders in the sustainable agriculture and rural advocacy community we supported you in record numbers during the caucus, primary and general election because of the family farm-friendly policies that you advocated during your campaign.

As our nation's future president, we hope that you will take our concerns under advisement when nominating our next Secretary of Agriculture because of the crucial role this Secretary will play in revitalizing our rural economies, protecting our nation's food supply and our environment, improving human health and well-being, rescuing the independent family farmer, and creating a sustainable renewable energy future.

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With this in mind, we are offering a list of leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to the goals that you articulated during your campaign and we encourage you to consider them for the role of Secretary of Agriculture.

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Done. With so many other pressing issues it is important to keep Obama's attention, and draw him away from appointing another agribiz secretary.

In principle the goals are agreeable but where is the sentence that we advocate "science-based" decision making? without that we are opening the door to an agricultural administration that will not be able to reshape our national agriculture. I suggest we write our own letter and proposal scientists for the position.