By Russell Shaffer
Continued investment, strong local leadership and the development of the next generation of Nebraskans will ensure that the state remains an agricultural powerhouse, Mike Johanns told the crowd during the Sept. 22 Heuermann Lecture at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center. The event was hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Johanns said it was no accident that President George W. Bush tapped him to become secretary of agriculture in 2005.
“I was the governor of a state that has everything in its favor when it comes to agriculture, from the grasslands of western Nebraska that we affectionately call the Sandhills, to the corn and soybean fields across the east and central part of our state — we are a powerhouse,” he said.
Johanns, who also served as Nebraska governor and as a U.S. senator, emphasized the importance of Nebraska’s innovations in commodities, including beef, corn, soybeans, pork and popcorn. Continued investment in agricultural education and innovation will not only benefit Nebraska’s economy, he said, but will help the state maintain its position as an agricultural leader in the United States.
Source : unl.edu