In the Shadow of Scottsbluff

Scottsbluff, Nebraska is a location many of us have never been to but it is a place many of us have heard of thanks to history class and the popular educational computer game “The Oregon Trail.” In the mid 1800s many Americans knew of Scottsbluff because it was a key destination along the Oregon, California, Morman, and Pony Express Trails. Scottsbluff was a welcoming site to those pioneers that braved nature and the elements to start a new life out west. It was a landmark that let them know that they were still on the path to their destination.



It is a fitting that today’s Rural Tour Community Forum sits in the shadow of Scottsbluff because as Secretary Vilsack has emphasized, we are on the path to a new day in rural America – a Rural Renaissance. Like the westward pioneers before us, we face challenges. As we work together to rebuild and revitalize our economy and communities, we can see Americans all across the country tapping into the same determination and ingenuity that carried our forefathers through their difficult times.

Here at the Rural Tour Community Forum, we have heard from farmers and ranchers that are ready to embrace the opportunities of the 21st green economy. One local rancher asked the officials in attendace – Secretaries Vilsack and Salazar, Senator Nelson, Governor Heineman, and Congressman Smith – to upgrade the electric transmission infrastructure in the state.

This rancher was eager to harness the abundant wind that blows across the plains and grasslands of Nebraska with turbines installed on his land. He explained that wind turbines would increase the income opportunities of his land.

This story is one of many we hear all over rural America – of Americans ready to apply their ingenuity, their innovation, and most of all, to get involved in the hard work of remaking America. Thank you Scottsbluff, you are a sign that we are on the right path.

Permalink  |  Posted at: 08:41AM Sep 29, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA  |  Add Your Comment Here [1]

Secretary Vilsack on the El Reno Rural Tour Stop

Last week I traveled to El Reno as part of President Obama’s Rural Tour to listen to Oklahomans about how the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Obama administration can work to rebuild and revitalize rural America.

I heard about the crushing cost of health care, concerns about schools, our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and climate change. The thoughts, ideas and concerns for the future I heard in El Reno were a reminder of the strength and optimism I have seen in communities throughout rural America.

What I didn’t hear in El Reno was an unwillingness to take on the challenges that face our nation, or doubt in the American spirit of innovation, progress and determination that has consistently propelled our country to greatness. Every Oklahoman I spoke with expressed a hope and optimism that we can build a stronger America as long as we reject the nay-saying that has become the status quo.

Simply put, the people I met said they are ready to embrace President Obama’s belief that the strength of our nation depends on a healthy and prosperous rural America. I met family farmers from Loyal, already benefiting from the increased income opportunities of sustainable farm practices. They were excited about the possibility that energy and climate change legislation will reward farmers, create a clean energy economy and reduce the threat of climate change.

I heard from individuals who were thankful for President Obama’s stimulus package that invested in critical infrastructure, stimulated local economies, created jobs and provided tax relief for 95 percent of America’s families. They are excited about our investments in broadband technology. And they are looking for health insurance reform that will provide security and stability for their families. It is clear that Oklahoma is ready to challenge the idea that we cannot change and is committed to moving the state forward.

Nowhere was this more evident than in questions and comments from the members of 4-H and FFA, youth educational programs. These youngsters represent part of Oklahoma’s future. I am confident that their passion and determination will help rebuild and revitalize your communities.

We’ve already begun by investing in our communities — education and nutrition, rural development and broadband, conservation and clean energy — with the Recovery Act. We must help rural communities create wealth so they are self-sustaining, repopulating and thriving economically. It means building a rural America with the opportunities that convince the young people I met that the small communities they grew up in are still the best place in the country to raise a family.

To accomplish these goals, we need your ingenuity, your innovation and most of all your involvement. That’s how change happens — because Americans from every corner of this country stand up and face the future unafraid. And if we summon that spirit now, I’m confident we’ll look back at this moment and know that we left our children an America even more vibrant and prosperous than the America we inherited from our parents.

Secretary Vilsack's commentary originally published in the Oklahoman

Permalink  |  Posted at: 10:52AM Sep 23, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]

Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Opportunity in Oklahoma

This nation is currently confronting the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression – and rural communities are feeling the effects the same as any other. Even so, we know that rural America faces a unique and diverse set of challenges – and opportunities.

Secretary Vilsack spent yesterday afternoon highlighting and discussing those opportunities for rural America at the 16Th Annual National Association of Seed and Venture Funds Conference (NASVF). The NASFV is a global non-profit organization that promotes investments in seed and early-stage companies – and they have rural America in their sights.



Non-profit organizations and other private entities provide great opportunities for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to form public-private partnerships to help rebuild and revitalize rural America. Many people do not realize the immense scope of programs and assets available at the USDA. From the Cooperative Extensions at land grant universities to Community Facility Grants to Business and Industry Loans, USDA stands ready to work hand in hand with the private sector to bring new economic opportunities to rural America.

At the NASVF conference, we learned of a plan in Southeastern Oklahoma that would link schools in four counties to locally produced food. This plan in Oklahoma is an example of the type of opportunities we are building with the launch of USDA’s ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative. ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ is marshalling resources from across USDA to help create the link between local production and local consumption. Our goal is to confront challenges of local food distribution with support for processing, storage, and shipping facilities from RD CF and B&I funding and grants. And we will simplify procurement processes to break down barriers that are preventing institutional buyers from connecting with local producers.

By fostering new initiatives of this nature, we can create new economic opportunities, encourage rural entrepreneurship and job creation and ultimately spur wealth creation in rural America.

Permalink  |  Posted at: 11:24AM Sep 17, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]

A Thoughtful and Wide-ranging Discussion in Eastern Ohio

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack kept President Obama’s Rural Tour rolling today with a stop in Zanesville, Ohio. Once known as the “Pottery Capitol of the World,” Zanesville is now striving to find its way in the 21st century economy.



Senator Sherrod Brown and Representative Zach Space joined Secretary Vilsack at the community forum to gather thoughts and ideas from the locals on how to revitalize community. The crowd of over 300 people filled all the seats and stood over three deep around the edge of the room for over 90 minutes of Q and A. Secretary Vilsack extended the event long after he had gotten the signal from staff that it was time to move on to the next event. As the case has been at all of the Rural Tour events, the discussion was civil, thoughtful, and wide ranging.

Audience members asked about building local food networks, protecting the safety of our food supply, international trade of agriculture products, forest management, and the pending climate change legislation. People came from all different parts of the area, and represented the wide variety of interests that form the basis of America’s rural communities.



A small dairy farmer asked about efforts to stabilize the dairy market and make it more competitive for farmers of all sizes, a cattleman expressed frustration about the National Animal Identification System program, a small businesswoman asked about loan programs to help struggling small towns, and a forester noted that woodlands are the source of many agriculture products and that the entire industry was “green” long before anyone was talking about a green economy.

Unfortunately, there were too many questions to answer even in an hour and a half, and Vilsack concluded with a request that everyone continue to the conversation by visiting the Rural Tour Web site.

Permalink  |  Posted at: 03:30PM Sep 01, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]