[This arrived by email from the National Rural Assembly. I didn’t think I could improve on it, so I asked for permission to reprint it here, which they have kindly granted. I added photos from the White House blog. -Becky]
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| President Barack Obama tours MogoOrganic in Mt. Pleasant, Ia., with with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Morgan Honnig, April 27, 2010. |
A new report from the White House Council of Economic Advisors examines the rural economy and lays out steps designed to “ensure the prosperity and vitality of rural America.” The report, released Tuesday, coincides with the president’s two-day tour of rural communities in the Midwest, which concluded Wednesday. Read a copy here-on the Rural Assembly website.
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| President Barack Obama with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack tours the POET Biorefining Plant in Macon, Mo., April 28, 2010. |
- The Rural Innovation Initiative, a regional economic planning effort of federal, state, and local agencies, led by the Department of Agriculture.
- Promotion of “regional innovation clusters” through the Small Business Administration and the Economic Development Administration.
- Increased funding for renewable energy research, which will complement new federal investments in biofuels and wind energy production that the report says will benefit rural areas. Enforcing limits on greenhouse gas emissions will also spur renewable energy development in rural areas, the report states.
- Continued support of forest restoration, fire suppression, and other conservation programs on public and private lands.
- More than $1 billion in loans and grants for telecommunications improvements and “to help transition rural economies into the modern information economy.”
- Opening markets for agricultural exports through the administration’s National Export Initiative.
- Reforming federal agriculture supports to move support away from “the wealthiest farmers” to less affluent farmers.
- Promoting local and regional food systems.
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- About the Author
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Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
I love living and having a small business in a rural area, however after four years of the toughest years of my life, I’m about ready to move on to greener pastures in a larger market where I believe more opportunities are available. It seems rural America has been totally ignored too many years. For many of us, I’m afraid this help may be too late.
I’m sorry it hasn’t worked out for you personally. It isn’t easy, and that’s why we talk about these issues here. We hope we can help a few more folks make a success.
All the best to you for a better future.