Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 10/4/19

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue's recent comments about the fate of small dairy farms has sparked a backlash spanning several days. On Tuesday, while speaking at a dairy expo in Wisconsin, Perdue said there's no guarantee small farms can survive. 

"In America, the big get bigger and the small go out," he said, according to the Associated Press. "I don't think in America, we for any small business, we have a guaranteed income or guaranteed profitability."

Perdue's comments, which got widespread pickup from national and local news outlets, did not go over well with everyone in Wisconsin. The state lost 700 dairy farms in 2018 alone. "What I heard today from the secretary of agriculture was there's no place for me," said one farmer, who spoke at a news conference organized by the state Democratic Party, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Criticism was rampant on Ag Twitter, with even former Vice President and 2020 candidate Joe Biden stepping in. "President Trump broke his promise to America's farmers," he tweeted. "He campaigned on having their backs, but now his administration is abandoning them and claiming family farms might not survive." (Some farmers, however, pointed out that the Obama administration was not exactly a steadfast champion of farmers).

USDA's response: A department spokesperson, asked for further comment, pointed to a tweet sent Wednesday from Perdue's account of a local TV news clip featuring additional remarks from the secretary. "There is no doubt there has been economic stress in the dairy industry but we believe better days are ahead," the tweet said.

Perdue launches "Sonnyside" podcast: Amid a barrage of criticism, Perdue is embarking on his own PR effort with a new podcast launching today called "Sonnyside of the farm." His first guest is Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former White House press secretary who is now a Fox News contributor and believed to be considering a run for governor in Arkansas.

Love fest: Perdue tweeted Thursday that the interview with Huckabee Sanders is "about her time as Press Sec and how much @realDonaldTrump loves America's farmers and ranchers." The promo for the podcast is here.