BROOKLYN, Iowa − Craig Lang, a Poweshiek County dairy farmer and former president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, announced Tuesday his Republican candidacy for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.
“We’re all in this together as Iowans,” said Lang, a former president of the State Board of Regents, “and I believe our best opportunity for success is by working together to get things done.”
Lang seeks the Republican nomination for the post held by fellow Republican Bill Northey since January 2007. Northey, a three-term Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Thursday as a U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary.
In announcing his candidacy, Lang said he intends to focus on resolving the pressing issues of Iowa’s water quality, soil loss and stagnant rural economy.
“We can be doing a lot more for our state if we bring together the public and private sectors, rural and urban, business and farm interests, our public universities and private colleges to achieve all three goals: cleaner water, healthy soils and a stronger rural economy,” Lang said. “One way to achieve better health in the soil and improve the economy is by working to create more diversity in Iowa agriculture.”
Lang farms with his brother, father and two sons. The sixth-generation family farmers milk 650 cows, farm 1,200 acres and run a cow/calf beef operation. Lang is strongly pro-agribusinesses and industrial agriculture.
“The fact is, there are groups that want to attack production agriculture,” he said, “particularly our livestock and poultry growers, and I’ll be a strong and supporting voice to make sure we set the record straight.”
Lang served as president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation from 2001 through 2011 and concurrently as chairman of the board of the FBL Financial Group. He also was chairman of the Grow Iowa Values Fund and, under Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, vice chair of the Iowa Economic Development Board.
Lang is also president of the Prairie Strategy Group, which analyzes food production, policy and logistics. He and his wife, Mary, have four grown children and seven grandchildren.
