Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (center) composes an Twitter message, that will be posted by New Media Content Specialist Rebecca Frank (right) during his  live and online Virtual Office Hours Twitter session, in Washington, D.C. on, Monday, December, 17, 2012. Agriculture Deputy Administrator Farm Service Agency Brandon Willis, left, studies various incoming questions and provides input. Online questions about the important role of rural America to the national and global economy, increasing agricultural opportunities in U.S. communities, and the importance of passing a five-year Farm Bill are addressed during this live Twitter chat. Some of the responses address food and nutrition, agricultural research, urban agriculture, bio-based products and how rural communities can get more involved in rural policy, to name a few. Questions were submitted live and in advance to the @USDA Twitter account using the hashtag #AskUSDA. USDA photo by Lance Cheung.
<p><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/41284017@N08">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a>
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Lance Cheung/Photographer
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/8282793354/">20121217-OSEC-LSC-0031</a>