Agco makes farm equipment under several brands.
Mr Dahl is the CEO of Amity Technology, which makes farm machinery.
In the past year, among other setbacks, a nearby munitions manufacturer and a company that makes farm fences and troughs each cut several hundred jobs.
The Farm Service Agency, a unit of the Agriculture Department that makes farm loans and disaster payments, has imposed a hiring freeze and curtailed overtime.
Shareholders of CTB International, which makes farm equipment, have approved a $180 million acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway, the investment firm of billionaire Warren E. Buffett.
Few cabinet members have been treated with as much disdain on Capitol Hill, by members of both parties, as Ms. Veneman, 52, who is beginning to learn who really makes farm policy in Washington.
It improves incomes at the bottom of the pyramid and makes farm supplies more secure by reducing environmental threats such as water scarcity.Yet although Unilever may be able to buy its own raw materials from sustainable sources, it alone is rarely big enough to make a difference to any given commodity worldwide.
The Dutch firm CNH Global (34, CNH) makes farm equipment like tractors, balers and combines, as well as light-construction equipment like forklifts, backhoes and mini excavators.
"This is a great alternative to China, where there are fears of an investment bubble," says Younes. Henry is a fan of Mahindra & Mahindra, which makes farm machinery.
