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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 10 deceMber 2018
Former Agriculture Secretary Bob Bergland dies at 90
ROSEAU, Minn. (AP) — For- a USDA study on organic
mer U.S. Agriculture Secre- farming. He later served as
tary Bob Bergland, a farmer vice president and general
from northern Minnesota manager of the National
who was tasked with selling Rural Electric Coopera-
President Jimmy Carter’s tive Association and as a
unpopular Soviet Union regent at the University of
grain embargo to other Minnesota.
farmers, died Sunday. He U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson of
was 90. Minnesota said he was sor-
Bergland died at a nursing ry to hear about Bergland’s
home in his hometown of death and sends condo-
Roseau, near the U.S.-Ca- lences to his family.
nadian border, his daugh- “Bob served the Seventh
ter Linda Vatnsdal said. District of Minnesota ex-
As agriculture secretary, ceptionally before taking
Bergland had the difficult his farmer’s experience
job of defending to Mid- and work ethic to USDA to
west farmers Carter’s un- make sure that crop insur-
popular 1980 decision to ance, rural development,
embargo grain sales to the conservation and research
Soviet Union after the inva- programs worked better
sion of Afghanistan in 1979. for farmers and ranchers
Vice President Walter Mon- In a January 23, 1977 photo, Agriculture Secretary Bob Bergland, center, talks with guests at a across the country,” Pe-
dale recalled Sunday that National Press Club reception. terson, the top Democrat
Associated Press on the House Agriculture
both he and Bergland did Committee, who’s expect-
not like the grain embargo. ed to become chairman
“I don’t think it was good next year, said in a state-
policy,” Mondale told The ment. “I was fortunate to
Associated Press on Sun- have visited with him back
day. “This is going to mean in August and am proud to
Russians are going to buy continue in his footsteps in
their grain somewhere else. serving the residents of the
... I urged the president not 7th District.”
to do it. He felt he had to Minnesota Democratic-
do it.” Farmer-Labor Party Chair-
Mondale said Bergland man Ken Martin called
was a “nice guy, also a Bergland “a champion
very confident guy.” of American farmers and
“Carter felt very positive consumers.”
about him. He was very “Growing up poor in the
successful in that position. farmlands of Western Min-
Farmers liked him. That’s a nesota, Bob understood
tough job. People in ag- the difficulties and obsta-
riculture respected him, cles that face family farm-
and he was always doing ers as well as anyone,”
very well there,” Mondale Martin said in his state-
added. ment. “After losing his farm
Bergland, a Democrat, to foreclosure as a young
was a U.S. House member man, Bob dedicated his life
from 1971 to 1977 before to elevating the standard
becoming agriculture sec- of living for hard-working
retary under Carter. While family farmers while at the
heading the U.S. Depart- same time safeguarding
ment of Agriculture, Ber- the interests of American
gland commissioned a ma- consumers.”
jor report on the structure A funeral for Bergland is
of American agriculture, “A planned for Saturday in
Time to Choose,” and also Roseau.q
