To the editor:

I believe it is time to develop basic national agricultural policy reforms and I believe this effort should be part of a larger plan to achieve rejuvenation of the rural sector, encourage environmental protection and efficiency in energy production and consumption.

To realize this vision for the future, the Department of Agriculture would need to develop and promote various reforms, focusing on the following issues:

• Promoting education relating to the interconnectivity of issues related to food and fiber production, energy generation and consumption, protecting our land and water resources, and the natural environment.
• Concentrating on giving higher priority to maintenance and development of the concept of careers in farming as an important profession.
• Restructuring the agricultural system to encourage a wide range of human resources to join in or take up agricultural pursuits.
• Establishing policies to promote conservation of the environment and local resources such as wildlife, farmland and water resources.
• Seeking better coexistence and cooperation between urban areas, towns and cities and rural farming communities, and promoting healthy exchanges between them.

The reforms I propose would also need to be developed and promoted with an emphasis on the water, food, fiber, housing and energy consumer’s point of view.

Les Blevins,

Lawrence