(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton likes to say, “Ag connects us all.” It’s a thread through her life.

As lieutenant governor, Stratton oversees the state’s rural affairs council. “If we want to eliminate food insecurity, we first have to ensure that our farmers have what they need to produce food and to do so in sustainable ways. Our grocery stores must be built and ready to receive that food, and our people should be able to shop for healthy, nutrient-dense, and culturally relevant food that provides a connection to their family’s heritage.”

Stratton’s great-great-grandfather and his brother farmed in the 19th Century. Could they have imagined how she would turn out?

“I imagine that they prayed that their children, and their children’s children, and on down the line would be able to live in a way that was freer than they were able to live. So I don’t know if they imagined exactly this, but I do know that they prayed for me.”

Stratton spoke to the City Club of Chicago.