In his first day on the job at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, newly confirmed Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack laid out his top priorities to USDA staff.

In a USDA radio report, Vilsack said that President Obama is “adamant on the need for us to continue to find creative ways to provide the fuel and the energy that this country needs and certainly USDA will be partnering with a number of other agencies and departments in trying to find a focused, aggressive, comprehensive effort.” Vilsack says that rural job growth, fueled partly by renewable fuels, is also on his agenda.

Secretary Vilsack named key members of his staff on Wednesday and will likely announce his choice for deputy secretary of agriculture before the end of the week.