Quality, affordable housing is a key element of a strong and secure Iowa.

What Republicans have done in my view is that they are systematically dismantling a sense of community in America.

Many young and beginning farmers start out in local markets. Some stay there, and some scale up.

We have a long tradition in this state of caring for our neighbors - it is truly an Iowa value.

Over the past two years, the Obama Administration and USDA have worked to build a foundation for sustainable economic growth in rural America. At the center of our vision is an effort to increase domestic production and use of renewable energy.

Rural Americans want leaders who help middle-class communities to plan and prosper over the long-term - not opportunists who reap the rewards for themselves, leaving nothing for the people who do the sowing.

Proper school nutrition must be complemented by activities outside of the cafeteria. The decisions parents make to keep their kids healthy are critical in fighting this battle on the home front.