Obama Sends USDA on PR Tour

by Spence Cooper on 02/07/09 at 8:50 am

Wondering if Vilsack has groupies

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, began a USDA Rural Tour yesterday. Mr. Vilsack will be visiting rural communities across the country over the coming weeks and months in an effort to explain how the USDA and the Obama Administration are affecting the lives of rural Americans, as well as listen to feedback from various communities. Secretary Vilsack says he will collect ideas about how the USDA can upgrade its service to these communities.

According to The Marion Star, Obama outlined the effort Tuesday during an interview with WNAX radio in Yankton, South Dakota.

Top administration leaders, including Cabinet officials, will “fan out” and hold discussions on how to strengthen rural communities, Obama said. He said the meetings will be held in Alaska, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Obama said Vice President Joe Biden will attend the first session Wednesday in Wattsburg, Pa., where the main topic will be rural broadband access.

Administration officials want to find out whether programs are working, he said, adding that there’s no one-size-fits-all answer for rural America. The meetings are an opportunity to go out in the country and gather grassroots input, he said.

The president said his plan for rural America includes economic development, conservation and renewable energy. Biofuels will be a critical part of improving American agriculture’s profitability, he said.

“I think there’s huge potential around biofuels,” Obama said.

Obama, a former U.S. senator from Illinois, said ethanol has been a boon to many rural communities’ economies.

“What we also are recognizing is that the key for us is going to be to move into the next generation of biofuels” such as wood chips, switchgrass and refuse, he said.

Obama said climate change legislation that the House passed late last week will provide revenue opportunities for rural America while allowing it to achieve energy independence. He did not have a specific estimate on what the plan will cost farmers and ranchers.

You can follow progress on the Rural Tour from the Rural Tour Web site which will “chronicle the sights, stories and activities of all the communities we visit over the course of the tour. The site will include a blog, videos and photos, RSS feeds, and other interactive tools so that folks across the country can participate by sharing stories and providing feedback about how the efforts of the USDA and the Obama Administration are making a difference in strengthening America’s rural communities. For those that want to follow the tour, we will be twittering live from our Rural Tour events and also sharing news and information along the way”.