U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made a tour through Indiana on June 3, primarily to tout the Obama administration’s plans to rebuild and revitalize rural America. He made three stops in Indiana: Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Danville. The most interactive of the stops for Indiana residents was in Danville, where the secretary held a forum (part of USDA's Rural Tour) to collect ideas and comments from local residents on how best to revitalize the rural economy.
Vilsack outlined the goals of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act – providing assistance to struggling families; investing in the nation’s transportation system; and building “green collar” jobs. He acknowledged that families are struggling because of the economic crisis. In rural areas, Vilsack pointed to a few specific areas of relief provided by the stimulus funds, including infrastructure in watershed areas to reduce flooding and promotion of renewable energy production to revitalize local economies.
Rural community residents, ag organization and business leaders in attendance asked the secretary questions on a variety of topics… the struggle to feed a growing world population, the regulatory environment and wind energy issues were just a few. Another topic though dominated the conversation and also provide the insight into the administration's priorities in agriculture – structural changes in U.S. agriculture and USDA's plans for assisting small farmers.
This has been a recurring theme for Vilsack following the release of the 2007 Census of Agriculture. Referencing three different segments of producers ("large" farms that produce 75 percent of the nation's output; mid-sized farms and small farms), the secretary outlined priorities primarily for the latter two groups.
Mid-sized farms, he noted, are decreasing in number because they are either being purchased by larger farming operations or are dissolved because they are no longer able to compete in the industry. USDA and other federal programs will promote job creation in local areas to provide alternative job opportunities for those farmers.
Small farms, on the other hand, are a growing segment and one that USDA will attempt to help more because of the "job opportunities they create in rural America." How will USDA help these smaller operators?
- Expansion of the beginning farmer program
- Connecting local consumers and local producers to establish more market opportunities for farm products.
- Expanded conservation programs will help farmers more efficiently use their land.
- Increased focus on biofuels, expanded trade, and climate friendly programs will also create more opportunities for small farmers.
These comments provide much needed reassurance and promises of support to rural communities hard hit by the current economic downturn. At the same time, they also foretell a significant shift in USDA focus and programming away from the largest, most productive farms to smaller farms seeking more localized expansion opportunities. It is still early in this administration's term and so difficult to predict precise directives or outcomes, but it is clear that Vilsack has yet to waver from this theme and these new priorities.
