It was a full house as farmer and rancher leaders gathered at Peterson Farms Seed north of Fargo for a roundtable discussion. From the state of the farm economy to farm bill implementation, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue heard about issues top of mind for North Dakota agriculture. Trade remains front and center. “I heard that farming is tough, and I hear the answer is trade, trade, trade. For younger farmers, the best and the brightest will come back to the farm if we give them an opportunity for a profitable lifestyle,” said Perdue.”What we’re trying to do is provide markets across the world that will give them a predictable margin of profitability. If we’re able to consummate the trade deal with China, it’s going to be very good for agriculture.” Listen to the story.