US Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, visits Fountain City

FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – The First Climate Smart Product created through the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Climate Smart Commodities Program is now being introduced to consumers. Today (3/26/24), USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Fountain City where Great River Organic Milling is packaging more sustainable rice.

The Climate Smart Commodities Project Provides more than $3 billion to help agriculture production become more climate-conscious. Secretary Vilsack says rice is only the beginning, “Today’s opportunity for this product to go to market represents the first of what I suspect will be hundreds of products that are produced in the country to resolve and to respond to consumer demand for sustainably produced food.”

Secretary Vilsack says there are 27 other potential projects in Wisconsin, (in) industries such as dairy, corn and poultry among others.

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