A member of Trump’s Cabinet will visit Modesto on Sunday, and you’re invited

Sonny Perdue, agriculture secretary for President Donald Trump, will pay his first visit to Modesto on Sunday.

Perdue will take part in a 2:30 p.m. discussion at the West Campus of Modesto Junior College, open to the public. The hour-long program is sponsored by the California Farm Bureau Federation and will be moderated by President Paul Wenger, a Modesto-area nut grower.

The secretary is a former Georgia governor and state lawmaker who also has worked as a veterinarian and in agribusiness.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is involved in food safety, export promotion, plant and animal health, conservation projects and other farm issues. But the largest part of budget is the nutrition aid formerly known as Food Stamps. The USDA also oversees national forests.

Perdue will likely hear from dairy farmers who have long sought protection against low milk prices. He also could get questions on water supplies and immigrant labor, although the USDA is not directly responsible for them.

The event will be in the Agricultural Pavilion, the large building that is the centerpiece of MJC’s highly regarded ag department. Go to the north end of Carpenter Road and turn into the campus just before the Highway 99 interchange.

This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 12:23 PM with the headline "A member of Trump’s Cabinet will visit Modesto on Sunday, and you’re invited."