Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack held an informal town hall-style meeting with members of the American Farm Bureau on the floor of the IDEAg trade show Sunday in San Diego.

On a circular stage with AFBF president Bob Stallman, Vilsack took questions from members on a variety of topics, including the proposed Waters of the US rule, transportation, trade, and biofuels.

The biggest laugh of the event came when a South Dakota farmer, referring to WOTUS, asked the secretary “What can USDA do to instill some commonsense in the regulatory process?”

“This is a really important question, one that I grapple with all the time,” said Vilsack. “There’s an expectation that USDA can impose commonsense on other agencies, and that’s just not the way it works.” The best they can do is educate “sister agencies” about the impact of regulations on agriculture.

Listen to the town hall here: Secretary Vilsack at AFBF Town Hall meeting
2015 AFBF Convention photo album