Agriculture secretary gives Stephen Colbert farm facts, official opinion and a cheese head

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," sparred with faux-conservative host Stephen Colbert (right) about farm programs, nutrition and cheese. Questioned about subsidies, Vilsack said, "The reality is we do have to have a safety net for our farmers because it’s a tough business. You have no control over weather, you have no control over markets. You need to know probably 90 percent of America’s farmers are just barely making it. Ten percent are doing pretty well. But there are a lot of farmers out there who struggle, so it is important to have a strong safety net." At the end of their conversation, Vilsack presented Colbert with a 25-pound bust of Colbert's head carved from organic cheese. Colbert told Vilsack that he liked his likeness: "It may be cheddar, but I have to say, I look Gouda." (Read more from Philip Brasher of The Des Moines Register; view the video)