Nick Kristof has a compelling op-ed about the possibility of replacing the role of agriculture secretary with something more expansive and forward-thinking. He, along with dozens of other foodies/food issues experts, persuasively makes the case that we need to reexamine food policy in this country since it's inexorably linked to health, energy and climate change issues. But I'm also recommending this op-ed because it has quirky details, like the fact that Kristof receives an annual payment to not grow crops on a family farm in Oregon. I would have never guessed!

What would a George Mason or John Adams thought about a nation that thought it needed a food policy, and a highly paid bureaucrat to manage that policy?