USDA Rural Tour: Renewing America's Promise

I applaud Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin for bringing you to South Dakota. I was very disappointed that people traveled all over the state to voice their concerns and of the 250+people in attendance, 8 had issues addressed. Folks(farmers and ranchers alike) are hurting in rural America, livestock packer concentration, prices less than what it costs to produce beef, pork, lamb, milk or you name it. In our area we have suffered through 11 years of drought and one of the worst winters in history only to be paid more than 15 cents per pound less than what it takes to BREAK EVEN on a 550 lb. steer calf. We have market manipulation with the feeder-packers, high costs associated with processing, and media reports of illness caused by foreign meat(not American) ill-processed or ill-prepared food. We need enforcement of COOL, stronger regulations on foreign commodities and on the packers, base prices set on American commodities to break even(since we don't have cost of living increases), some sort of affordable heath care(since most rural folks can't afford it) and better standards to keep our American food source safe as it is today(eat more of our own raised products and not import as much foreign crap). I am very discouraged to see livestock and grain sell for less than the input costs, see pork producers and dairy farmers liquadate and ranchers reduce numbers in order to survive. Please work to enhance our way of life, speed up livestock indemnity program and implement more programs not to give us a living but to give us a chance to work for a living. Thank You Sincerely T.W. Schalesky Rancher for life Rancher for family Rancher for food!

Posted by T.W. Schalesky on October 13, 2009 at 08:52 AM CDT #

I am 28 years old. My family (Parents and I) started farming 10 years ago. WeThe past decade has not been kind to us. We endured 7 years of drought, when it did start raining last year it came in the form of a hailstorm that wiped out nearly all of our irrigated crops. The situation was worsened when our insurance company managed to stiff us on our bean insurance and then was backed up by the Risk Management Agency. This year was cold and our crops were caught by a freeze before they were able to mature. I should add that during that time my national guard duty was activated twice for overseas duty (bosnia and Iraq) and I spent over 4 years on active duty, which negatively affected our operation. I'm honestly not sure there will be another year for us. We've tried very hard to be good stewards of our land...we've no tilled, planted windbreaks, rotationally grazed. We'll certainly have left our soil and range in better condition than we found it but I'm not sure how many more heartbreaks we can endure. I figured I have spent the last decade working 80 hour weeks & living on less than $4000/year. I would like to address several issues with the USDA and the farm program. Farm payments based off of acreage are killing rural america. Large operations are already far more efficient than small producers. The fact that the more ground you farm the more money you get from the government only makes the situation worse. The board of trade is pretty good at adjusting to the lowest cost producers so it gets harder for the rest of us to make a living. CRP is not helping either...especially if the CRP is nearly nearly 1.5 to 2 times cash rent for farm ground like it is here. Why would a farmer who wishes to retire take a chance renting out his ground to somebody who might have a bad year and trouble paying when he can put it in the CRP program and get paid more. In the meantime the business that used to support agriculture dry up and when he passes away the land & the payments go to his children who now live in the city. In the meantime our comminuties are dying. The USDA brags about the loans they make for 'rural development' projects. Would those loans even be necessary if we still had a healthy farm economy and healthy communities supporting it? In other parts of the country where urban sprawl is an issue I have seen developers purchase ag land on the outskirts, put the land into CRP and then develop it into little "ranchettes" when it comes out of it's contract. How does that conserve any thing. The only people perhaps happy with the CRP program are absentee landowners and the hunters who seem happy for the government to support their recreational hobby. They participate in our communities maybe a week or two week a year. The family that used to live there participated in our community year round. Part of our problem was that when we were hailed out our insurance company stiffed us on our dry edible beans over row spacing. We had seen narrow row (7.5") beans demonstarted at a local NRCS field day encouraging no till production, There were a host of other producers growing beans in less than 30" row spacing. There was years of research data regarding narrow row production that we looked through before planting. None of it mentioned that you needed a special letter or approval from your insurance agent. We told him our plans and he never mentioned anything, he was glad to take our premium. When we got hailed out...after they avoided responding to us for several months we were told that because of some fine print wording in the glossary "technically" we didn't plant any beans at all and therefore they weren't required to pay any insurance. When we disputed, they were backed by the Risk Management Agency (part of USDA). When our congressman followed up on the issue he was essentially told to get lost. Neither of our senators was willing to look into the matter. Our government seems to be in love with mandating insurance of all types...how is that fair when they are so good at screwing people over when they do need help The disaster relief program is inefficient and painfully slow. We recieved disaster relief for 2005 in 2008. supposably we're elegable for disaster relief regarding last year..but we can't apply until later this fall, and who knows when we would actually recieve any money. The whole point of disaster relief is to buffer the cash flow difficulties operations face. If it doesn't show up until years later you've already figured out how to fix the problem yourself or you're out of business. Why is our government capable of bailing out wall street in a matter of weeks but is willing to let farmers suffer for years. It's a lot cheaper evidently if we go out of business first. We talk about how we need new young farmers....why would anybody want to when the economics of trying to start an operation get worse every year. In the meantime nearly all of our inputs continue to increase steadily. Fertilizer, chemical, and fuel costs have double in the last decade. Seed costs have more than tripled. Equipment costs have increased dramatically. Taxes, utilities and everything else associated with trying to keep a place operational have also increased. Mean while farm prices really haven't changed a whole lot over the last half century. Shelf price becomes increasingly disconnected from farm price. If adjusted for inflation they have decreased. Yes we have become more efficient producers but not enough that we aren't slowly becoming slaves to our input suppliers and purchasers who become more consolidated every year. It has been a century since anybody pursued any anti-trust legislation. I'm not sure anybody has the balls to do so any more. I graduated with a class of 42, half of us were ag kids, at last count 6 of us were still in the county. 3 town kids stayed, one teaches school, one works for john deere, one for a welding shop. 3 of us ag kids tried to make a go of it farming. It is likely that as of next year there will only be one. As a freshman in FFA I memorized the FFA Creed. I still remember the beginning. "I belief in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds, acheivements won by past and present generations of agriculturalists...." It breaks my heart but I'm not sure I really believe anymore. As a country we need to consider what is really important to us, and be willing to look a century down the road. World population continues to increase. Arable land decreases every year. Do we want to be able to feed ourselves a 100 years from now? George Washington was the first to state that we would become the bread basket of the world? Or do we want a future wth famine and the violence that seems to come hand in hand with desperate hungry impoverished people? If we want the first than It is paramount we conserve two resources; our land and our farmers. If we're to preserve our land we need to stop building cities on it and we need to farm in a way that perserves the organic matter of our soils. The extent to which the USDA is embracing both organic production and the production cellolosic ethanol greatly concern me. At least with grain based ethanol we leave the residue and have byproducts that can be fed to livestock. In truth if we are to meet the challenges of the next century we had better start building soil. For the first time in history we have the knowledge and technology to actually be able to produce food and perserve our soil through no-till practices. If we are to preserve are base of people who have the knowledge passion and work ethic to farm...we need to actually be able to make a living farming.

Posted by Patrick Peterson on September 30, 2009 at 08:08 PM CDT #

I think rural homesteads should have the ability to have the Internet. We are so far behind in technology and information sharing because we cannot access this data like our urban friends can.

Posted by Dorothy Swann on September 24, 2009 at 02:52 PM CDT #

My family grows pears in the Hood River Valley. This year we are being asked by our packing house to pay $300 for a USDA GAP inspection during harvest if we want to have a chance for our pears to be included in the USDA School Lunch Program (which would be a better deal price-wise for us)--but there is no promise that our fruit will go to that program, and there is only a small amount that will be bought. Last year we passed our GAP inspection, but the deal "fell through", so our fruit didn't end up going to the schools and we got a much lower overall payment for it. We were excited to be a part of this program, but why should we growers take the risk of paying to participate in these programs when we have no promise of being included? If USDA wants to support family farms, please consider finding ways to minimize risk and costs--even "small" ones--for the small farmer. The market should be secured before the grower is asked to assume the costs for it.

Posted by Anne on September 15, 2009 at 02:31 PM CDT #

I live in rural/urban, Southern Maryland, Charles County, USA. Agriculture exists in this county, but it is slowly being overtaken by urban development. I can not say rural development, because to me rural development deals with new ways to enhance agriculture growth by providing new techniques for planting, new (affordable) machinery to pick and bale, growing grain to feed live stock (cows, horses, etc), new fertilizers that will help the growth without harming people and other animals. There is a farm across from me. The owner(s) does not live on that land, but rent the land out. I like the openness about the area. I have an apple tree that did not yield much fruit; usually I get plenty, but not this year. The few apples that I was able to gather I made apple sauce, and it was the best! With the economy the way it is, a lot of people are planting individual gardens. This area was considered at one time a retirement area (slow paced), but with new growth, it’s changing. More people are coming into the area to build, which will decrease the agriculture land, and increase the growth of urban development. We still have some people in this area who are watermen. They fish, crab, and oyster during the specific seasons. My question and/or concerns are after all or most of the trees have been cut down, which helps the air and pollution, what kind of environment will be left; and with the increase in urban development, the land value will and has increased and the water supply will diminish, which will cause an additional expense for those who are using well water.

Posted by Gloria Chisley on September 15, 2009 at 11:16 AM CDT #

The Northeast in particular is home to a large number of small farms, many of whom were negatively impacted - if not outright devastated - by the outbreak of late blight this summer. Contributing to this problem, Home Depot stores in northern New England were selling tomato transplants infected with late blight well into August. The USDA has clear legal mandates to aggressively combat plant pests and to prosecute anyone who willingly contributes to the spread of plant pests. As a concerned citizen and future organic farmer, I urge the USDA to respond to these mandates by fighting the blight using methods applicable for both organic and conventional growers.

Posted by Sarah E on September 10, 2009 at 07:33 PM CDT #

I discovered many church brothers lost their jobs these days. And I have a parcel of land can be used as an agricultural purpose. I hope to open this land (180 AC) in Bakersfield area for them to work and get some income for their family! Please inform me what can we do, and what shall we follow step by step in order to make a win win situation for them! Thanks a lot. David

Posted by DAVID L. on September 06, 2009 at 04:51 AM CDT #

Dear Mr. Secretary, I raise natural beef in rural Wyoming. I sell my product locally and it is very popular. What bothers me is competing with feed lots and processors who get federal subsidies and produce lousy beef. Also, my excellent product must be competitive against the junk food ag industry that produces potato chips and french fries--also subsidized. If you wonder why we have a health care crisis, look at the food products that USDA subsidizes. Thanks.

Posted by Anonymous on September 03, 2009 at 01:59 PM CDT #

Hello All, I work for the FSIS,USDA agency and I also own and operate a small family farm with my son(17 yrs. old. Secretary Vilsack will have his hands full with the economics the way they are, but he does need to help the small farmer out by giving them a break on some of the government rules and regulations. I'm glad to work for the USDA by making sure the food we eat is safe to eat and along with producting some of the food we eat. This is a great country when it comes to the food we eat and the way we are keeping the earth clean and healthy the same time we grow food to feed the world. Thank You for giving me the chance to give my comment.

Posted by SCSI Stephen C. LaFree, FSIS on September 03, 2009 at 07:53 AM CDT #

Our company works hard to get the word out to buyers about rural real estate all over the country. A huge need we repeatedly see is for high speed internet throughout the country in rural areas. This would help the economy in rural areas in all kinds of different industries. Please consider getting more exposure for this across the country in rural areas. Thanks.

Posted by Allen Shannon on September 02, 2009 at 03:10 PM CDT #

Me and my husband own and operate a small dairy farm in central NY. I don't think senator Vilsack is doing all he can do for us, and if he is then somebody is putting the hold on an emergency program for farmers. We are in desperate need of some help from the govenment, the MILC payments are not enough, we struggle every day and the bills keep coming in faster then there is enough money. Our milk checks are the same price as 35 years ago, how would anybody in the american public like to take a decrease in that. How can you survive and who would want to, you feel like giving up everytime something breaks down and you don't have the money to fix it. We work harder then most people and we get nothing for our product, the middle man is making all the money and the governement is doing nothing about it, we have to pay for our product to leave the farm and to advertize our own product and Dairylea is getting away with robbing the dairy farmers, we pay in an equity and we got 1% of that back, between the taxes we have to pay and the health insurance that is breaking us and the insurance to put on our farm the feed bill and the electric is doesn't leave anything left to buy groceries, I want you to do something about it and not in January of 2010 I want it now and i want to get some for all of the months that we had to struggle, with out the farmers of america where would the american public be, just think about it for a minute and get back to me, you would all be starving or buying it from chins.

Posted by chris hunter on September 02, 2009 at 12:40 PM CDT #

An important component in the fight to become a sustainable society is to produce what we eat close to home. Since I love to garden organically and be outside, and I may be able to retire within the next 10-15 years, I am saving what I can and looking for a small piece of fertile land near where I live and work in Spokane, WA. I am also looking for others, of ALL ages and types, who want to join in the ownership and be a part of a BIG perpetual gardening group that will invest time and money to acquire the land, make or purchase the tools, build the facilities, and garden happily sweating and harvesting ever after. A key feature of the perpetual garden is just that, make a perpetual garden. Thus, the makers, after receiving the benefits of the joint effort and enjoying one another for as many years as they can, will pass the ownership to new people who accept the established principles for the garden and are dedicated to its continuation. It is not clear to me what role the USDA and/or other government entities might play in helping to start or assist in the improvement of perpetual gardens over time. Help is welcome; however, I personally don't want too much help since it would defeat the long term goal of being sustainable. In a nutshell, I invite all who are interested to discuss this with me. Perhaps we can make a go of it - sooner rather than later. Send replys to - elhombremontanes at yahoo dot com. Please feel free to contact me any time.

Posted by Don Hanson on September 01, 2009 at 05:52 PM CDT #

An important component in the fight to become a sustainable society is to produce what we eat close to home. Since I love to garden organically and be outside, and I may be able to retire within the next 10-15 years, I am saving what I can and looking for a small piece of fertile land near where I live and work in Spokane, WA. I am also looking for others, of ALL ages and types, who want to join in the ownership and be a part of a BIG perpetual gardening group that will invest time and money to acquire the land, make or purchase the tools, build the facilities, and garden happily sweating and harvesting ever after. A key feature of the perpetual garden is just that, make a perpetual garden. Thus, the makers, after receiving the benefits of the joint effort and enjoying one another for as many years as they can, will pass the ownership to new people who accept the established principles for the garden and are dedicated to its continuation. It is not clear to me what role the USDA and/or other government entities might play in helping to start or assist in the improvement of perpetual gardens over time. Help is welcome; however, I personally don't want too much help since it would defeat the long term goal of being sustainable. In a nutshell, I invite all who are interested to discuss this with me. Perhaps we can make a go of it - sooner rather than later. My email is: elhombremontanes at yahoo. Please feel free to contact me any time.

Posted by Don Hanson on September 01, 2009 at 01:04 PM CDT #

Hi anybody I would like to help[ somewhere too but need help I trying to get invovled in farming a it's sad to say thay I see on Tv that some are farming but the differnce is my farm will not be for profit and I work for agriculture so don't want to co-op just give back but iy seem that the politics so far or yes it is a status qou and I might not get in unless I hit thew mega million or just keep watching as a hice I dea I had get back into the system a some elses Idea I need help as of now I can't put all the detail's for fearof politics but am game if I heard rom the right people even here at Agriculture.

Posted by raymond poole on September 01, 2009 at 11:49 AM CDT #

I was dismayed to hear Secretary Vilsack support the NAIS program at the Zanesville, Ohio Rural Tour meeting. In a time when many farms are going under, this will push even more farms over the brink with added costs. They claim they want to encourage more people to get into farming, but the way NAIS will be implemented will favor factory farms over small independent and start-up farms. Large livestock producers will only have to pay for one tag for thousands of animals, while the family farm will have to pay to chip every cow, goat, sheep, horse and chicken. This is not a level playing field. It will eliminate competition by forcing out smaller operators, leaving a few large operators better able to fix food prices upwards (much like the oil cartels have done with oil prices.) The cost of chipping chickens will exceed what they can be sold for, and makes no sense. At the meeting I attended, a cattle producer wanted to know why NAIS was going forward even though 90% of the cattle producers did not want it. Apparently we are moving towards a totalitarian state where what the cattle producers want and need doesn’t matter. I feel the NAIS program is massively intrusive, and a huge waste of time and money. I also disagree with Secretary Vilsack’s contention that chipping our animals will make our meat more salable in foreign markets. Any program that raises our costs will make our meat more expensive than meat produced in unregulated countries in South America. This will put us at a competitive disadvantage to raise our farmers’ production costs. The whole NAIS scheme makes little sense, and should be scrapped.

Posted by Gretchen Fathauer on August 31, 2009 at 06:57 PM CDT #

In the heart of America (Kansas), there are still the old homesteads that have been passed down from generation to generation - we still hold on to this dream - a rural lifestyle for our families. This system works well because the younger generation is around to help out when the older generation needs a little more help. The problem: One of our sayings is, "We'll farm until we go broke." Most farm/ranch operations are run by couples or individuals who also hold down a full-time job off the farm. My father ran a cow/calf operation & a farm while working a hard, full-time job. He died when he was my age - 52. I see my brother burning the candle at both ends with his farm operation & his full-time job. Like myself, many others from this rural area commute (the 3 1/2 hour total time each day) to the jobs in the nearest Metropolitan city that has any jobs to offer. Many others are unemployed - laid off aircraft workers, computer techs, construction workers, and those from the Education field. They search the help-wanted ads each day in hopes of finding a way to remain in their rural area. Some talk about their fear of having to move away in search of a job and having to leave behind their rural roots. We need jobs in the small towns of Kansas. There are those of us who would employ others if we had start-up funds for our business ideas. Any extra funds we have (had) are presently going to those close to us who have no jobs/food/income and who do not use any Government assistance – just family assistance. The seemingly never-ending commuters’ line of cars that I see in my rearview mirror each morning as I top a high hill on the highway (just past 6:00 a.m.) as I travel to work tells me that jobs are scarce in our rural towns as we all try to reach our timed and marked spots on our commuter’s road, hoping to clock in on time one more day. Kansas small towns will be ghost towns if someone doesn't reverse the trend: young people graduate, go to college, move away only to return to their roots after years/decades out in the big world. Will there be anything for them to move home to when they long to bring their families "home"? Rural families don't ask for much. Willing to work hard, most believe in free enterprise, an entrepreneurial spirit, and the guts to actually think we can preserve our heritage and pass it on to the next generation. If you come to Kansas, please remember the tiny towns and farms along the way. Kansas has farm operations so isolated that we still say we are "going to town" when we set out for Wal-mart, the doctor, or a hardware. Our town has worked together to build a library with volunteer labor, funds raised by breakfasts (for the lumber), and just enough grit & vision to believe we still have a chance to survive long enough for our children and our children's children to check out the books we will soon place on donated shelves. How we long to pass on this heritage - the country life - where neighbors still help neighbors & the whole town turns out when someone has trouble in life.

Posted by Lynn Norris on August 26, 2009 at 10:27 PM CDT #

Secretary Vilsack was generous with his time and demonstrated a strong understanding of rural issues across the spectrum during his visit to NH this summer. I took the opportunity to appreciate the Department's support for co-ops, especially housing co-ops that serve rural communities needs for safe and affordable homes. USDA is an agency that really understands and supports cooperatives. I greatly apprecaite that! Thank you.

Posted by Paul Bradley on August 26, 2009 at 01:00 PM CDT #

Many of us are dedicated to maintaining our small, family farms into the next generation. Government subsidy of large, corporate agriculture makes it even more difficult to compete than the inherent inefficiencies of the small scale of our operations. If there is an interest in Washington to promote local food, the driver for this is the small, family farm. We realize that there are many lobbyists supporting corporate agriculture that influence decision-making in Congress. Small, family farms do not have lobbyists. The administration could certainly take the lead in how to create a more level playing field for the small, family farm.

Posted by Wendy Vittori on August 24, 2009 at 07:48 PM CDT #

There is a serious shortage of large animal vets to serve small farms in New England. We are small because of our hilly land and because we can't quit our day jobs to farm full-time. The USDA needs to figure out how to better encourage and assist small farmers serving a local market.

Posted by Prue Barton on August 24, 2009 at 04:39 PM CDT #

This is a great idea and long over due. The follow through is always where this type of thing breaks down. Just as a reminder Secretary Vilsack doesn't have to travel far he can go to Western Maryland or Delmarva and get a taste of rural American struggles.

Posted by Jeff Semler on August 21, 2009 at 02:57 PM CDT #

I was born and raised in rural America, am a veteran, and a college graduate, I believe in the American dream and the responsibilities that go with it. I support my government and expect them to abide by the constitution which provides security and opportunities for the people. I do not expect to get something for nothing and those that do are whats dragging down this economy. My suggestion would include Social Security for those that paid in to it, protection from frivolous lawsuits (if the govt. approves something, (drugs, doctors, cars etc.) then liability should shift to the govt. this alone would limit excessive payouts, tiered health care (basic clinic coverage for those without and leave the rest alone). Give the country back to the people and allow us to work for our success, and profit from our efforts (no effort no profit) homelessness is not a disease to be cured but a lifestyle choice. Return our freedoms we have fought so hard for and make us responsible for our choices.

Posted by Brent Zehrung on August 21, 2009 at 12:57 PM CDT #

I appreciate the commitment to "know your farmer - know your food." However, if something more isn't done soon for the dairy farmers, there will be no more rural farms left. If the USDA is truly interested in food safety, then STOP importing milk. Unfortunately for my family, our new saying is "The farmer that feeds America cannot afford to feed his own family with the current dairy prices."

Posted by Janice Grimes on August 21, 2009 at 11:52 AM CDT #

It's nice for President Obama and the Secretary of Agriculture to travel thru the rural areas and enjoying a nice tour, however, it would be nice if some concentrated efforts would be placed on the drastically failing dairy industry. A visit to such places as California, Virginia, and Pennsylvania would be nice only, if something is done besides talk. Dairies are falling out by the hundreds in the United States and our government has now put billions of dollars into new automoblies for people who didn't even need a new automobile, and if they did, many could have paid for it themselves. The green atmosphere could have been postponed and the money could have been put into the dairy farmers budget. Immediate attention is absolute necessary if the dairy farmer is going to survive. Just apply the laws that are on the books and bring parity back.

Posted by Frank Keel on August 21, 2009 at 10:13 AM CDT #

Our farm policy is our problem! It is nearly impossible to get started in production ag unless you are born into a large operation. There is no end in sight to rising land and production costs. Our subsidy system is a growing burden on taxpayers. We need the ability to sell our products at a price that covers production costs+a reasonable profit. Unskilled labor has a minimum wage. Why not farmers? To guarantee farmers a fair price in the marketplace would create equal opportunity for farms of all sizes, instead of the current incentive to "get big or get out". More farmers on the land = more money spent there.This is the best "stimulus" of all! The family farm is dying despite the latest census reports. We must address ag's rapid consolidation. Who do we want growing our food, large profit-driven corporations or the family farmer whose greatest desire is to pass his country, land, and lifestyle to the next generation, in better shape than he found them?

Posted by J.W. Lawler on August 20, 2009 at 08:27 PM CDT #

What about rural Texas? We have the worst drought since the 50's- probably worse. We are losing jobs, farms, ranches, and running out of water. Why doesn't the administration come hear from Texas?

Posted by l.j ross on August 20, 2009 at 11:20 AM CDT #

i'm assuming the secretary will also visit the RHS section 515 rental housing projects and the 538 rental housing projects to see in person they are providing much needed affordable housing in rural areas. they are vital to the rural infrastructure and should be preserved (although they are being lost as a consequence of budget savings). replacing an affordable unit with a rental voucher to that tenant results in the loss of affordable housing units to that community. and, presently, the 538 program has been stopped in its tracks and RHS has yet to release the 515 funds for this FY. low-and very-low income elderly and families need more affordable housing and rural areas need the housing.

Posted by john meyers on August 20, 2009 at 10:53 AM CDT #

Its great to see all the new inititives being rolled out. Broadband, new fuels, ect. ect., however without the basic infrastructure to support these items - particularly affordable housing, their benefit will not be fully realized. USDA for many years has looked upon Rural Rental Housing as a program they have been stuck with, as opposed to embracing it as one of the basic primary needs in Rural America. NOW, is the time to turn around this attitude in USDA and Congress. We encourage the new Sect. of Ag to hold National and Regional meetings to address the long overdue concerns of the many stakeholders who have worked for years to develop and maintain this very important part of the Rural infrastructure - affordable Rural Rental Housing!! We know from our association with Sect. Vilsack over the yrs that he is up to this challange, if he will engage it.

Posted by Lew Weibnerg on August 20, 2009 at 10:35 AM CDT #

We need to see some major support for the construction financing on Biomass projects it seems as if we have done 90% of the finance needs but we lack the last 10%,lets see if we can get this fixed to move things forward.

Posted by greg lee on August 19, 2009 at 09:40 PM CDT #

Funding for new ideas and opportunities is just not going to happen! Why? Banks refuse to look at new projects! I first thought this was a banking problem but being in the development business for the last 15 years and working with farmers I realized it is a business model problem. LLC"S are realitvely new and require only enough capital to get financed and if they don't work out the bank gets stuck with the distressed assets. LLC"S work fine in an expanding economy but are weapons of mass destruction during a recession, especially to the lender. We need to get back to the Cooperative Model! They require vision, cooperation and commitment. I suggest USDA revitalize their Coop Develpment Services (which has been neglected the last beight years) and do direct loans to qualifing coops.

Posted by David Kolsrud on August 19, 2009 at 03:48 PM CDT #

Revitalizing Rural America is an effort near and dear to my heart growing up and raising a family here in the midwest. There are many opportunities and ideas out there but first I think that the various business models need to be reviewed. LLC"S have only been around and used for the last 15 years and by their own name they lack commitment. Yes, banks do get burned when LLC"S don't work out and as long as we have an expanding economy that seldom happends. However when we are in a recession the LLC models are easy to walk away from. Rather than put in more equity let the bank deal with these distressed assets. Cooperatives on the other hand require three things that lead to success. One: Vision which normaly includes all stakeholders to develop a plan or path forward. Two: Cooperation which gets everybody to agree. (not as easy task) Three: Commitment which is often includes money and commodities and/or services. Step One: USDA needes to revialize it's Cooperative Development Services which has been badly neglected the last eight years. Step Two: Do direct loans to qualifing cooperatives. This in my opinion is what is essential to start the process of getting rural people to take ownership of their destiny .

Posted by David Kolsrud on August 19, 2009 at 03:14 PM CDT #

Two problems exist in the area of the midwest that I live in. The livestock business is the largest in the country in this area and it has provided a lot of value to life. Some of the oldest and richest farms can be found here because of the grain and livestock industry we have. One of the problems that exists is that US citizens outside our region don't understand where their food comes from not do they want to. I believe they would like to think that all of our cattle and hogs are grown out in the open range. This is simply not true. It can't be true because, just like every other industry in this country, we need to utilize every efficiency we can. This doesn't mean that the livestock we handle are not treated well. We want them to be treated well so they feel better. When cattle and hogs feel good, they grow rapidly which gets them to the marketplace quicker. The term CFO (Confinement Feeding Operation) is perceived by many to be cruel punishment for livestock. This is exactly the opposite of what livestock producers want for their herd. But CFO's have provided efficiencies in feeding operations so producers can still make the food we eat available and still feed their own family. The other problem I see is the amount of people who grew up in a metropolitan area now wanting to move to a farm. Although that may not seem to be a problem, these people are a problem to the livestock industry because they are grossly mis-informed about the "toxic smells" and "diseases" that are perceived to go along with livestock feeding operations in their area. I have seen people from many miles away from a CFO construction site protesting because they feel that their health will be in danger is the site is finished. This stems back to the original problem that people in this country do not understand where their food comes from. I would rather have my food come from the US than from a CFO in another country.

Posted by Tom Miller on August 19, 2009 at 01:08 PM CDT #

I commend the Obama Administration in their efforts to gain perspective on the unique concerns of rural America. However, I must echo the statement of the last commentator and encourage you to consider rural CA as a future destination for such a tour. Rural CA represents 85% of the state’s land mass, is home to 15% of the population and is a major player in the state’s economy, generating billions through agriculture, forestry and mining. CA’s agricultural exports reached an all-time high of $10.9 B in 2007. Despite these important economic contributions, rural residents are among CA’s poorest and sickest. The combined effects of poverty, higher rates of uninsurance and fewer healthcare providers result in a greater number of rural residents who suffer from poor health, and who are disproportionately affected by serious and prolonged physical and mental health conditions. I encourage the Tour to visit California in the future and bring a national spotlight to these important issues.

Posted by Desiree Rose on August 18, 2009 at 05:52 PM CDT #

On behalf of the Calif. State Rural Health Assn (CSRHA), I commend the Obama Administration in their efforts to gain understanding and perspective on the unique concerns of rural America. However, I must echo the statement of the last commentator and encourage you to consider rural CA as a future destination for such a tour. Rural CA represents 85% of the state’s land mass and is home to 15% of the states population, and is a major player in the state’s economy, generating billions through agriculture, forestry and mining industries. CA’s agricultural exports reached an all-time high of $10.9 billion in 2007. Despite these important economic contributions, rural residents are among CA’s poorest and sickest. The combined effects of poverty, higher rates of uninsurance and fewer healthcare providers result in a greater number of rural residents who suffer from poor health, and who are disproportionately affected by serious and prolonged physical and mental health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, cardiovascular disease and depression. CSRHA invites the Rural Tour to visit California in the future and bring a national spotlight to these important issues.

Posted by Desiree Rose on August 18, 2009 at 05:44 PM CDT #

On behalf of the California State Rural Health Association, I commend the Obama Administration in their efforts to gain understanding and perspective on the unique concerns of rural America. However, I would like to echo the statement of the last commentary and encourage you to consider rural CA as a future destination for such a tour. Rural CA represents 85% of the state’s land mass and is home to about 15% of the states population, and is a major player in the state’s economy, generating billions through agriculture, forestry and mining industries. CA’s agricultural exports reached an all-time high of $10.9 billion in 2007. Despite these important economic contributions, rural residents are among the state’s poorest and sickest. The combined effects of poverty, higher rates of uninsurance and fewer healthcare providers result in a greater number of rural residents who suffer from poor health, and who are disproportionately affected by serious and prolonged physical and mental health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, cardiovascular disease and depression. CSRHA invites the Rural Tour to visit California in the future and bring a national spotlight to these important issues.

Posted by Desiree Rose on August 18, 2009 at 05:40 PM CDT #

On behalf of the California State Rural Health Association (CSRHA), I would like to commend the Obama Administration in their efforts to gain understanding and perspective on the unique concerns of rural America in a time of great need. However, I would like to echo the statement of the last commentor and encourage you to consider rural California as a future destination for such a tour. Rural California represents 85% of the state’s land mass and is home to about 15% of the states population, and is a major player in the state’s economy, generating billions through agriculture, forestry and mining industries. California’s agricultural exports reached an all-time high of $10.9 billion in 2007. Despite these important economic contributions, rural residents are among the state’s poorest and sickest without the same access to health services as their urban counterparts. The combined effects of poverty, higher rates of uninsurance and fewer healthcare providers result in a greater number of rural residents who suffer from poor health, and who are disproportionately affected by serious and prolonged physical and mental health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, cardiovascular disease and depression. CSRHA would like to see solutions developed to address the health care needs of our rural communities. We would invite the Rural Tour to visit California in the future and bring a national spotlight to these important issues.

Posted by Desiree Rose on August 18, 2009 at 05:33 PM CDT #

On behalf of the California State Rural Health Association (CSRHA), I would like to commend the Obama Administration in their efforts to gain understanding and perspective on the unique concerns of rural America in a time of great need. However, I would like to echo the statement of the last commentor and encourage you to consider rural California as a future destination for such a tour. Rural California represents 85% of the state’s land mass and is home to about 15% of the states population, and is a major player in the state’s economy, generating billions through agriculture, forestry and mining industries. California’s agricultural exports reached an all-time high of $10.9 billion in 2007. Despite these important economic contributions, rural residents are among the state’s poorest and sickest without the same access to health services as their urban counterparts. The combined effects of poverty, higher rates of uninsurance and fewer healthcare providers result in a greater number of rural residents who suffer from poor health, and who are disproportionately affected by serious and prolonged physical and mental health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, cardiovascular disease and depression. CSRHA would like to see solutions developed to address the health care needs of our rural communities. We would invite the Rural Tour to visit California in the future and bring a national spotlight to these important issues.

Posted by Desiree Rose on August 18, 2009 at 05:32 PM CDT #

I would like to know when the Rural Tour is coming to California. I live in western Marin County, a rural part of northern California. When do we get a chance to voice our concerns, stories and thoughts?

Posted by Marc Hussein Matheson on August 18, 2009 at 04:18 PM CDT #

Financing in the renewable energy sector is tough. A lot of banks got burned by ethanol and are hesitant to take another leap for biomass.

Posted by Misty Baker on August 18, 2009 at 10:40 AM CDT #

The U.S. Forest service has lost all intrest in supporting the rural communties That they serves. There are no contracts being awarded to local contractors for fuels reduction projects that require a large labor force. All of the contracts are being awarded to out of state contractors that use a migrant work force. We have lost the ability to be cost effective because we can't get the need work to refine the skills of the local workers. There need to be a value to bringing new jobs to the rural communties. By hiring local it boost the the entire community. There need to be a constant presence of the INS to assure all workers are correctly documented and treated like the rest of the american work force.

Posted by James R. Wills on August 18, 2009 at 10:35 AM CDT #

USDA,We ruralsmall farmers/ranchers need immediate help in getting low interest loans/grants to up-grade my/our aging land/quality farming methods.Itry and manage a small goat ranch,but feed cost are very high,also operate a organic farm/greenhouse,but cost of maintaing purety/quality vegetables has a expense where-as to i been having to cut back some crops.But still people enquire for certain type veggies,and i can only reply that the cost is too high to pruduce that certain veggie.I thought that this new administration was all about keeping/making america healthy.So please give us small farmers/ranchers a chance to keep producing by giving us more funding. THANK-YOU in advance.

Posted by Larry S. Stoudemire on August 17, 2009 at 09:04 PM CDT #

Declining salmon stocks in Alaska have imposed hardships on communities, fishermen, and Alaskan natives who rely on these fish. Information gaps have led to abject failures to predict salmon declines and determine appropriate management responses. With a consistent source of funds dedicated to research and monitoring of salmon in western Alaska, we can help address these declines. The time is upon us to prioritize salmon recovery in Alaska and in particular, western Alaska. Alaska is the last stronghold of salmon left in the Pacific. Yet, even with our undammed rivers and pristine habitat, we still have Alaskan salmon stocks that are in trouble. We know from experience that it is much more expensive to bring a stock back from the brink than it is to respond to early warning signs. The Department of Interior through the Bureau of Indian Affairs has, in the past, identified research funding for western Alaskan salmon stocks, 1994-2005. The need has not diminished; it has increased ten-fold and the attention to this situation must not be earmarked, it must be incorporated into the Department of Interior’s mission and budget.

Posted by Karen Gillis on August 17, 2009 at 03:58 PM CDT #

Couldn't make the tour at Hamlet,NC.Had to get the grandkids home from school. I suggest that the indebtedness farmers owe to usda for disaster loans be set aside,or reduced.This would help us survive,as most of us are heavily in debt,and can't buy newer technology.This could also be tied to jobs,forgiveness of debt for hireing new workers.Double benefits of employment and work accomplished.Lower unemployment for rural America through real work .Also,trying to get a farmer's coop started for switchgrass,green energy vertically intergrated,jobs locally.Have two active growers,about 300 acres in production.Need help with grants,loans,legal formats,etc.Thanks for listening!

Posted by Dan Clyburn on August 17, 2009 at 03:42 PM CDT #

Recently I completed a course at NCSU in Raleigh, NC as a post-bacalaureate student. The course was Agroecology, taught by Dr. Schroeder-Moreno. I have taken several courses in the botany, forestry, and horticulture departments, but this was one of the most important course I have taken in all my many years of "schooling." The course was offered on line, and as such, there was much discussion by the students in the class about the topics: sustainable agriculture, organic farming and markets, etc. As I live in a still-rural county (Granville) I have come to appreciate rural life not only for is practical value (providing food for animals and people), but the astonishing beauty that rural landscapes provide. This is our natural/cultural heritage and it deserves our preservation efforts. Honoring the rural way of life and the rich history is imperative if we are to preserve it. I believe that a Renaissance of the Rural is dawning, as people become educated by taking courses such as the one I took; as people become more aware of supporting local agriculture and farm systems; and as the "local food" movement gains momentum. A real dialog needs to occur between those who live in these areas and their urban/suburban counterparts. Hopefully, our economy and values will shift to include this oft-maligned sector--our national security and economic health may depend upon recognizing, supporting, and partnering with new "rural economies" .

Posted by Lynda Lamm on August 17, 2009 at 03:07 PM CDT #

Please do not forget the Native Americans. The first peoples of Turtle Island. Their health has long been forgotten. They are the Last to be remembered. In the new health bill, they are not even mentioned. on CNN their was one program that did surprise me......last Sun. Lakota res. A typical home with no water/no electric. an elder. A wood stove. no car. how many people could survive? Native peoples have no choice. Help.

Posted by sharon kitchen on August 17, 2009 at 02:18 PM CDT #

In rural, Appalachia Ohio the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) has worked with many private and public partners to revitalize our local food economy. ACEnet operates a 12,000 square foot, food business incubator serving over 100 farm and food entrepreneurs serving local, regional, national and international markets. Since 1996, a number of our Food Ventures Center tenants have graduated to their own processing or retail facilities. Many of our clients and incubator tenants begin by selling at the areas farmers market. The Athens Farmers Market, the largest year round, open air market in Ohio has over 100 members serving the needs of all community members through EBT, WIC and SFMNP programs. We would love to host Secretary Vilsack to visit with our area's farm and food entrepreneurs during his visit to southeastern Ohio.

Posted by Leslie Schaller on August 17, 2009 at 12:21 PM CDT #

I would like to know when the Rural Tour is coming to California. I live in a rural part of CA which many people forget exists! When do we get a chance to voice our concerns, stories and thoughts?

Posted by Mica on August 17, 2009 at 10:01 AM CDT #

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