File:"Back to Our Roots" in Colorado (20180516-OSEC-LSC-0630).jpg

English: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue tours the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation (NLGRP) National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) Cold Storage Vault, in Fort Collins, Colorado, on May 16, 2018. This secure, long-term storage facility contains nearly 1 million samples of more than 13,200 plant species from the NPGS and from other international plant gene banks, as well as other U.S. government land management agencies. Most of the samples are preserved in the form of seeds. Some germplasm is also preserved as buds, cuttings, and tissue cultures. The 20 NPGS gene banks across the U.S. safeguard, study, and distribute these plant samples, each collected at a particular time and place, including modern and old varieties, wild relatives of crop plants, and genetic stocks. Seeds are packaged in moisture proof foil bags for cold vault storage at -18 °C (0 °F). The packets of seeds are organized in high-density rolling shelves. NLGRP seed preservation protocols are based on more than 50 years of experience and research. The facility opened in 1958 and was expanded in 1992. Preservation of diversity of plant genetic resources helps farmers and conservationists face challenges from climatic change, the spread of new diseases, destructive pests, and abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Secretary Perdue is on his fourth "Back to Our Roots" tour to hear ideas and concerns from local farmers, ranchers, producers, foresters, agriculture students, business owners, community leaders, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees. The tour will last through Thursday, May 17th and include stops in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska. This is Secretary Perdue’s fourth “Back to Our Roots” tour since taking office just more than a year ago. On his first tour in August of 2017, Secretary Perdue toured Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. In September of 2017, Secretary Perdue traveled on his second tour to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Most recently, Secretary Perdue visited Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky during his third tour in early April.

For photos from the tours, please go to www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/collections/72157689539524440/.

To watch a recap of Secretary Perdue’s first year and the tours, please go to www.usda.gov/year-one.

To stay connected, go to @USDA @USDAgov @SecretarySonny