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Former Iowa governor and U.S. agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack argued that rural prosperity should come from farms generating more value—not from farmers simply working longer hours. At an April 29, 2025 forum in Warren County, Iowa, he pointed to climate-smart practices and turning animal waste into energy as examples, while calling for partnerships to support farms and small-town economies.
What Vilsack meant by “farms, not farmers”
Vilsack spoke at Middleswart Lodge in Warren County, overlooking Lake Ahquabi State Park. The meeting was the first in a series of Iowa Democratic Party forums about plans to grow Iowa. He said he was there as an Iowan, not as a politician.
His central phrase was: “The farm would work harder, not the farmer.” The idea was to find ways for a farm operation to create additional value and income, rather than relying only on longer hours or a farmer taking work off the farm to keep a family afloat. It was a policy argument, not a claim that any single approach will suit every farm.
Vilsack connected farm viability to the health of rural communities. He said, “So now you not only have more prosperous farms, you also have more jobs, you have more reasons for people to stay in that small town.” That is his proposed link between farm income, local employment and population retention—not a demonstrated outcome of the practices he named.
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What kinds of farm activity did he point to?
Climate-smart agricultural practices
Vilsack cited climate-smart agriculture as one way farms might create value. The forum account does not specify particular practices, their costs, eligibility rules or likely returns, so it should not be read as a project guide or evidence that a particular practice will pay for itself.
Turning animal waste into energy
He also described using animal waste in an anaerobic digester to produce renewable energy and income. The example illustrates the broader concept of making another useful output from farm operations. The account provides no engineering specifications, cost estimates, revenue projections or assessment of which farms could support such a project.
Partnerships beyond the farm
Vilsack called for cooperation among government, farmers, universities, food and energy companies, utilities, conservation groups and environmental groups. The rationale is that farm diversification and rural development can involve organizations beyond an individual farm. The forum report does not establish that a partnership or program will produce a particular financial or community result.
Why the argument matters for farm households
U.S. farm numbers are far below their historic peak. USDA Economic Research Service data show 6.8 million farms in 1935 and 1.88 million in 2024. The 2024 count was 8% below the 2.04 million recorded in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. The decline has continued over time, but ERS describes the pace as slower since 1982 than in the decades after the 1935 peak.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →ERS reported 876 million acres of land in farms in 2024, down 3% from 900 million acres in 2017; the average farm size in 2024 was 466 acres. These figures describe the national picture, not the prospects of an individual Iowa farm.
Off-farm income is also part of the picture for many farm families. ERS says about 86% of U.S. farms in 2024 were small family farms, defined as having gross cash farm income below $350,000. Households operating these farms typically relied on off-farm sources for most household income, and most U.S. farm households earned some income from off-farm employment. The agency does not give a percentage for that latter finding in the cited chart.
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Warren County farmer Mary Mitchell reflected on the time spent commuting for off-farm work: “We might have saved a lot of miles driving back and forth from our place to Des Moines.” Her comment describes a personal experience; it is not a quantified estimate of commuting or savings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to USDA’s climate-smart program?
On April 14, 2025, USDA announced it was cancelling Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities and reprioritizing existing funding. The announcement was reported at the time of the April 29 forum. It establishes the department’s action on that date, not the current status of every related program or funding opportunity.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11What farmers should take from the proposal
Vilsack’s argument is about creating more value from farm operations and building the partnerships that could connect that value to rural jobs. His examples—climate-smart practices and anaerobic digestion—are possibilities he raised, not recommendations supported by a cost-benefit comparison in the forum report. Any farm considering a project would need to assess its own costs, scale, available inputs, buyers for energy or other outputs, expected revenue and financing options.
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