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]

Dairy Advisory Committee announced during Rural Tour stops in Central Valley

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan continued President Obama’s Rural Tour across America with a stop in Modesto, California. The Rural Tour hosted a community forum at the Stanislaus County Agriculture Center in the heart of the Central Valley and one of the largest agricultural regions in the country.

In their first joint appearance on the Rural Tour, the Secretary Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Merrigan stressed the importance of helping California and made it clear that Administration was aware of the struggles facing the Central Valley. Also appearing on stage were Congressman Dennis Cardoza and California Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawamura.

The questions and comments from the audience focused on the obstacles facing the dairy industry. Secretary Vilsack announced the formation of the Dairy Industry Advisory Committee and urged forum attendees to nominate candidates from the Central Valley. Once appointed, the committee will review the issues of farm milk price volatility, and dairy farmer profitability.

Linda Lopes, local farmer and president of California Dairy Women called for dairy support prices to be higher and extended and asked that a price floor be put in place.

“I understand what you need and we are going to do everything we can to help out,” stated Vilsack.

In addition to dairy issues, invasive species concerns topped the agenda. Karen Ross, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers highlighted the vulnerability of local crops to invasive species and importance of border protection.

Over 400 attendees to the forum resulted in an over-flow room with a live two-way feed from the primary forum. Secretary Vilsack extended the forum by spending an additional 20 minutes addressing the over-flow crowd in person.

Permalink  |  Posted at: 01:36PM Aug 31, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]

Vilsack tours biomass facility, holds Rural Tour forum in Sedalia

Over the course of the Rural Tour, innovation has emerged as a common theme in discussing a new energy economy. Farmers and rural businesses have been innovators since this country was founded; it's what sets us apart, and what will revitalize and rebuild rural America.

Innovation was also the focus of the Secretary's visit the Show Me Energy Co-Op in Centerview, Missouri, just before his Rural Tour forum in Sedalia. The cooperative is a cellulosic biomass facility owned by 400 area farmers who process biomass materials and agricultural residue -- corn stalks, plant fibers, etc. -- into fiber fuel pellets.

It has even worked out an arrangement with the Federal Reserve in Kansas City to recycle retired money into pellets, as paper money is a completely cellulosic and soy based product. The pellets are then used by utility companies as a renewable fuel source.



That innovation has opened up new markets for farm products that until recently would have been discarded for having no value. But today, the new economy is alive and well in Centerview as this enterprise took a vision, some assistance from USDA's Rural Develoment and other supporters, and turned it into success story.

Following his tour of the biomass facility, Secretary Vilsack hosted a forum for area producers and citizens at State Fair Community College in Sedalia. There were lots of questions about climate change and renewable energy, international trade in agricultural products, the importance of forest management and timber to Missouri's economy, and the nation's food safety and inspection practices.



For his part, the Secretary outlined for the crowd the efforts by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Food Safety and Inspection Service to keep the U.S. food supply safe; he also touched on producers being the vanguard for climate change efforts around the country, noting that farmers have always been very innovative and are looking at great new income opportunities in the 21st century. Vilsack also stressed we all have to work to inform more people of the link between farmers and food -- it benefits producers for the American public to understand the efforts put forward to get food from the farm to the fork.

This was another great Rural Tour forum packed with serious discussion on the problems facing the country; until the next forum (on Wednesday, August 26 in Modesto, California) be sure to catch up on the Rural Tour Twitter feed.

Permalink  |  Posted at: 04:51PM Aug 21, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]