When it Won't Stop Raining

It was standing room only as folks gathered on this rainy day in the metal machine shed on Jim Hundstad's farm near Aberdeen, South Dakota. Altogether, more than 300 farmers gathered with Secretary Tom Vilsack for a Rural Tour community forum.

As the event began, the gentle rain on the roof of the machine shed was an unfortunate reminder of the challenges that local farmers are facing. An abundance of rain through the past nine months has resulted in flooding, with water standing in fields. Farmers have faced inordinate difficulty in working the land.

But in other ways, the thoughts and concerns discussed were similar to those discussed at 22 previous forums that have been held in states across the country.

Local pork producers asked what USDA was doing to help. Dairy producers inquired how the Department might support farmers after Congress finalizes provisions of $350 million in support for the industry. Crop producers asked how crop insurance and conservation programs were being retooled following the 2008 Farm Bill.

Secretary Vilsack and Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin provided thoughtful answers to a wide-range of questions from the audience.

A few hours earlier in the day, Secretary Vilsack was briefed by the Congresswoman and local officials about the devastating flooding. The Secretary pledged a quick and thorough review of declaring neighboring counties as disaster areas, thereby enabling local producers to qualify for disaster aid from USDA.

As we drove off the farm and onto the highway, the gray skies, soggy soil and puddles throughout fields were a stark contrast to other parts of the country where producers are struggling with drought-like conditions.

Whether producers face flooding or drought, feast or famine, the leadership of USDA is listening to producers in every corner of the country to help address local challenges.

Permalink  |  Posted at: 03:19PM Oct 06, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]

Pride and Diversity in New Mexico Farming

Yesterday Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack continued President Obama’s Rural Tour with his 21st stop in New Mexico. This stop while similar to the previous stops stood out in two key areas. In a morning meeting with the Latino farmers in the town of Mesilla, N.M. the Secretary heard first hand the importance of addressing the wrongs of the past in regards to the USDA and civil rights issues. And to this, the Secretary responded that he is ready to take on the responsibility of closing that chapter in our history and creating new opportunities for American farmers and ranchers of all backgrounds and cultures.

But the day was also notable because of the hard work and pride of the farming and ranching community of rural New Mexico. You see, unlike many states and parts of the country, the agriculture sector in New Mexico is growing. Five years ago, there were approximately 15,000 farms in New Mexico. Today, there are over 20,000 farms and the number is growing. Pistachios, grapes, dairy, avocados, and grains are just a sampling of the agriculture products coming out of the state. The agriculture sector today accounts for $2.1 billion in the state economy, also up from five years ago.

As Sharon Lombardi, Executive Director of the Dairy Producers of New Mexico made clear, times are tough and the challenges are numerous, but here in New Mexico they are determined to move forward. They are determined to preserve the rural communities that are the heart and soul of the nation. They are determined to make it work. And here at the USDA, we are determined to stand beside them and do what we can to help them achieve those goals.

Permalink  |  Posted at: 12:17PM Oct 01, 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]