Former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer confirmed as agriculture secretary

January 29, 2008 03:19 pm

— ST. PAUL (Jan. 29, 2008) — Former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer was approved by unanimous consent by the U.S. Senate as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“It is great that Secretary Schafer is from the Midwest, he understands the Midwestern style of farming, and the elements, like weather, that are often out of a farmer’s control,” said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union president. “I look forward to working with Secretary Schafer in securing a thriving farm economy for rural Minnesota, and the Upper Midwest, and congratulate him on his new position”
According to his biography on the USDA website, Schafer served as North Dakota's governor from 1992 to 2000 and made diversifying and expanding North Dakota's economy, reducing the cost of government and advancing agriculture his top priorities in office.
He worked to normalize trading relations with China and develop that nation as an export market for North Dakota farm products. He also led efforts to upgrade North Dakota's communications infrastructure and make high-speed voice and data networks available to farmers, ranchers and rural businesses.
Born and raised in Bismarck, N.D., Schafer graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1969 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and earned an MBA from the University of Denver in 1970.

•••This article was submitted by the Minnesota Farmers Union.