Making Iowa the “Food Capitol of the World” has been a goal for Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack since he entered office. As the majority of agricultural action continues to take place on the national level, many state legislators and ISU professors say they are still waiting to see progress.”I think [Vilsack is] kind of a dreamer, so he comes up with a broad picture,” said Sen. Johnie Hammond, D-Ames. “We can’t keep shrinking or maintaining to reach the broad picture he wants. I sense that a lot of people have given up hope for small towns and communities — I don’t think he has.”Vilsack’s plan, found at www.state.ia.us/government/governor, focuses on reducing costs for Iowa’s producers with tax cuts, regulation, financing and an agricultural insurance consortium.Under traditional agriculture, Vilsack has pushed for the creation of new opportunities including new markets, local consumption, foreign trade and increased production of Ethanol.Rep. Jane Greimann, D-Ames, said Iowa doesn’t have enough Ethanol plants. “We need to continue to promote that,” she said.Michael Duffy, professor of agricultural economics, said Iowa needs to be more creative about its industries, expanding beyond another Ethanol plant. Around the nation other states are trying to add value to agriculture while also retaining value, Duffy said, so “we have to be more clever than they are.”During the 1999-2000 legislative session, only one agricultural bill was approved by the Iowa Legislature, Hammond said. Some issues not examined or approved included laws protecting small farmers from packer discrimination, locations of large confinements, manure storage issues and phosphate level testing.”All of these were urgent issues that were absolutely ignored,” Hammond said.Vilsack’s 2002 budget includes an additional staff member devoted solely to pursuing market opportunities for processed food, feed and other items of Iowa origin, Greimann said.Vilsack’s agricultural vision plan also includes infrastructure improvements for Iowa’s producers, such as promoting technological advances, financial rewards for value-added agriculture, global market development and promoting high-tech agricultural research.Giving state funding to the ISU Plant Sciences Institute is another part of Vilsack’s initiative to make Iowa the “Food Capitol of the World.” Hammond said Iowa is a logical place to make as the capitol, with its natural resources and productive soil.”When you add Iowa State University into that mix, it’s the best place to do that,” she said. “I think there is a lot of interest and motivation. We’re doing a lot now at the centers at Iowa State that will enhance the future designation.”But Duffy said he sees many items being put ahead of agriculture, particularly K-12 education.”Obviously, I’d like to see a lot more come out of agriculture, like alternative energy resources and alternative production practices,” he said. “It gets to be a question of where they are going to put the money. It’s hard to say which would be the best for the state.”Duffy said Iowa should work to maintain its strong tradition of agriculture.”We are an agriculture state and we should be proud of that,” Duffy said. “We need to work for a healthy agriculture and shouldn’t try to work around that.”