Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge Applications Due

Check this out, folks!!

Go to http://www.strongruralamerica.com/challenge/ this link to find out information on an exciting opportunity.

Tractor Art in the Snow

This isn't from New York, but it's still pretty cool.

Go to http://www.countryliving.com/life/news/a37152/prunty-farms-tractor-art/ to check it out.

Why Growing Up on a Farm is a Good Thing

This from Science Daily. 

Go to http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140709095620.htm#.U8QYKNQD5iY.facebook to see the story.

Ag Education Spreading

What a great story.

Go to http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2014/03/31/agriculture-education-blooms-in-urban-rural-high-schools?src=usn_tw to check it out.

Ag Secretary Writes about Passage of Farm Bill

Here is this week's column at Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack:

The 2014 Farm Bill, passed by Congress and signed last week by President Obama, strengthens the farm safety net and ensures vital nutrition assistance for hardworking children and families during tough times. 

It closes loopholes and achieves much-needed reform, saving billions of taxpayer dollars.

Those accomplishments are significant and should be commended, particularly at a time when bipartisan victories in Washington are so rare.

We have already started work on a plan to implement the new Farm Bill. However, many of its provisions are new and complex. 

As we have done every step of the way in helping to craft this legislation, we will work to keep Congress and our stakeholders informed as we identify and prioritize everything — new regulations, guidance and other activities — that will be required so that we can implement the legislation in an efficient, timely and responsible manner.

Much of the debate leading up to the passage of the Farm Bill focused on the farm safety net and the food safety net — key provisions of the legislation, to be clear. Yet as we move forward with implementation, I am struck by the myriad ways the new Farm Bill also makes small, yet critical, investments that help foster the potential in our rural communities, long underappreciated and under-realized. 

It provides resources that give us the opportunity to restructure and revitalize the rural economy in ways that, without a farm bill, were out of reach.

The new Farm Bill invests in the endless possibility to use what is already grown and raised on our farms and ranches in innovative and unexpected ways. It expands the potential to strengthen rural manufacturing, particularly of products made from renewable materials from our farms and forests. 

Rural America desperately needs those jobs, and every American benefits from our expanded competitiveness in this globally emerging market.

It also recognizes the economic opportunity inherent in the changing dynamic of consumer tastes. The new Farm Bill provides new grants and loans for entrepreneurs — many of whom are just beginning to farm — that want to break into expanding markets for organic and locally- and regionally-grown foods. 

Money spent locally very often continues to circulate locally, expanding the potential for job creation in rural small businesses and spurring economic growth across the country.

The new Farm Bill takes an innovative approach to agricultural research, establishing a new foundation that will leverage private sector funding to support groundbreaking research. 

Our farmers, ranchers and foresters are increasingly facing the pressures of a growing population and extreme weather patterns due to a changing climate. Their job security — and the future security of our food supply and our nation — depends on how well we equip them for those challenges today.

We are fortunate as a nation because we have the ability to grow and create virtually everything we need to survive. Our farmers, ranchers and foresters, and those in supporting industries, give us the freedom to be whoever and accomplish whatever we want because we don’t have to worry about where our food comes from. Indirectly, the products of their livelihoods — our food, fiber and forest products — ensure a brighter, more stable future for all of us.

That is why this Farm Bill is not just a farm bill, or a food bill, or a “business as usual” bill. 

This Farm Bill is an investment in every American, no matter where they live.

Strike Force for Rural Growth

Weekly column by Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack:

Rural America faces a unique set of challenges when it comes to combating poverty in our towns and communities. 

Too often, rural people and places are hard to reach or otherwise underserved — but not forgotten.

I believe that USDA and its partners have the tools and the wherewithal to expand opportunity and better serve those living in poverty, but it is imperative that these resources reach the areas where they are needed most.

That is why USDA has undertaken a broad commitment to rally available tools and technical assistance through our StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity initiative.

Since its launch in 2010, we’ve extended StrikeForce into more than 700 rural counties, parishes, boroughs, tribal reservations, and Colonias in twenty states. We’ve partnered with over 400 community organizations, businesses, foundations, universities and other groups to support 80,300 projects and ushered more than $9.7 billion in investments into rural America.

This week, we took our efforts a step further by expanding StrikeForce into three new Appalachian states—Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia—and one state in the Delta region, Louisiana.

StrikeForce support will help leverage USDA resources with the unique expertise of community leaders, business, foundations and other groups working in Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee and West Virginia. In less than four years, we are seeing promising positive results from this model in other StrikeForce states.

For example, in Arizona, we helped an entrepreneur start a successful apiary business for crop pollination and honey sales. Thanks to USDA assistance, he was able to purchase 1,000 bee colonies and needed equipment, eventually growing his business by 200 percent.

In Alabama, we provided a loan to help a young farmer purchase a 53-acre farm for his existing cattle operation. This support allowed him to purchase his own land as opposed to renting or leasing.

And in Alaska, we helped to fund a primary care center that will create 200 jobs from entry level to skilled healthcare workers, in addition to construction jobs. The clinic will provide services to the local community including primary medical and dental care, behavioral health, optometry, health education wellness and traditional medicine.

These are just a few of our StrikeForce success stories. From increasing access to healthy, affordable food; to closing farm loans; to building housing, libraries, hospitals and clinics; to expanding the productivity of our farmers and ranchers, we are working hard to ensure that USDA programs are available and accessible to those in need.

Yet many of our efforts to combat poverty and create opportunity in rural America rely on the passage of a new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill. USDA continues to push for Congress to finish the work of a Farm Bill as soon as possible to continue these important efforts and provide tools that grow the economy, create jobs, and provide opportunity for all Americans.

I know that there is still a lot of work to be done, but StrikeForce is an important step forward. This is a strategy that is working to combat poverty in rural America, and we will continue to build on these efforts to bring assistance to areas that need it the most.

USDA Providing Money to Rural Electric Cooperatives

From the USDA:

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA will take new steps to save consumers money on their energy bills in partnership with rural electric cooperatives.

USDA plans to provide rural electric cooperatives up to $250 million to lend to business and residential customers for energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems.

"Energy efficiency retrofitting can shrink home energy use by 40 percent, saving money for consumers and helping rural utilities manage their electric load more efficiently," said Vilsack. "Ultimately, reducing energy use helps pump capital back into rural communities. This program is designed to meet the unique needs of consumers and businesses to encourage energy efficiency retrofitting projects across rural America."

Vilsack noted the Energy Efficiency and Loan Conservation Program, by promoting energy savings in rural areas, is another step by which USDA is supporting President Obama's Climate Action Plan. The program will help build a cleaner and more sustainable domestic energy sector for future generations by reducing barriers to investment in energy efficiency and potentially cutting energy bills for American families and businesses in the process.

Although energy efficiency measures can reduce home energy use considerably, many consumers and businesses do not invest in them because they lack the capital or financing to do so. Consistent with President Obama's Climate Action Plan, this program will reduce barriers to these investments by making financing more available.

Funding will be provided to rural electric cooperatives and utilities – the majority of which already have energy efficiency programs in place – who will then re-lend the money to help homeowners or businesses make energy efficiency improvements. In addition to energy audits, the loans may be used for upgrades to heating, lighting and insulation, and conversions to more efficient or renewable energy sources.

USDA Officials Talk Growth in Ag Marketing Opportunities

From the USDA:

Monday, Nov. 18, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined Farmer Veteran Coalition Executive Director Michael O’Gorman and Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer to highlight the rapid growth of local and regional marketing opportunities in American agriculture.

Local and regional markets provide new opportunity in agriculture and expanded availability of fresh, local foods for all Americans. Link to today’s call: here

Local and regional markets also provide a unique opportunity to help America’s returned service members get started in agriculture, and keep growing. Today, more than four million veterans call rural America home – comprising more than 11 percent of the rural population – and agriculture holds a promising new career for many.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is focused on expanding opportunity for new and beginning producers across the nation, and on creating new opportunities for existing farmers and ranchers. Secretary Vilsack has identified these new opportunities as one priority to help revitalize the rural economy and create jobs.

• Local food sales provide a rapidly growing market opportunity for American agriculture – especially for farmers and ranchers who are just getting into agriculture. The opportunity to produce and market products locally has a particularly positive impact for small and limited-resource producers. Local food is a multibillion-dollar market and growing.
  
• Local markets also have benefits for Americans who live off the farm. In areas of high poverty, low food security or limited access to healthy foods, farmers markets provide an expanded opportunity for low-income families to purchase fresh, local products.

To help producers take advantage of this multi-billion dollar marketing opportunity, USDA has made historic investments to support these expanding markets.

USDA created the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative in 2009 to help connect producers with new opportunities in local and regional marketing – and to better inform Americans about the business of agriculture and opportunities to connect with farmers and ranchers.

Since 2009, USDA has supported over 2,600 projects nationwide to build new market opportunities in local and regional foods, mainly through programs authorized in the Farm Bill.

• USDA has invested in the future of farmers markets through the Farmers Market Promotion Program, providing assistance for nearly 450 projects nationwide to grow and expand farmers markets.
  
• USDA has invested in more than 860 projects under the Specialty Crop Block Grants program to expand the production of fruits and vegetables for sale at local markets.
  
• The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has provided 89 Community Food Project awards in 36 states to expand local food opportunity in low-income communities.
  
• Over 40,000 young and beginning farmers in 48 states have received assistance in business planning, risk management and farming practices through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.
  
• Since 2009, USDA has provided assistance to create more than 10,800 high tunnels – low-cost greenhouses that extend the growing season – through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
  
• USDA has provided more than 4,000 microloans under the Farm Service Agency’s new microlending program. This program provides smaller loans of up to $35,000 for small-scale producers who can also take advantage of local marketing opportunities.

For a complete breakdown of USDA investments by state and region, and to view the growing number of farmers markets, food hubs and other local food indicators, visit the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass map at www.usda.gov/kyfcompass. It is searchable by zip code, key word and program.

• Since 2009, USDA’s has helped to create more than 2,800 new farmers markets, which provide farmers and ranchers with new opportunities to sell their produce and expand food options for families. The number of farmers markets has grown by 70 percent nationally since 2009.
  
• USDA efforts also have helped expand the number of regional food hubs, which aggregate products from small and midsize farms and distribute them to large-volume buyers. The number of regional food hubs has risen by 65 percent since 2009, and more than 230 are now operational around the country.

Much of this support was made possible through programs authorized under the Farm Bill.

To continue support to grow local and regional food systems across the nation, Congress should expedite passage of a comprehensive, multiyear Food, Farm and Jobs Bill. A new Farm Bill would:

• Expand support for local food enterprises through a new Local Food Promotion Program, which would replace the Farmers Market Promotion Program. FMPP is currently without funding due to the lack of a Farm Bill.
• Restore critical funding to the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, which trains the next generation of farmers, including returning veterans. BFRDP is currently without funding due to the lack of a Farm Bill.
• Launch a new program to help low-income consumers purchase more fruits and vegetables, particularly locally-grown produce, by providing incentives at the point of purchase.
• Continue critical infrastructure funding for food storage, processing and distribution businesses, including food hubs, through Rural Development programs such as the Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program.

A new Farm Bill would also provide many other critical programs that would grow the rural economy and create jobs in rural America.

New Report Highlights Need for Farm Bill

Here is Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack's column:

There are a wide range of important reasons why rural America needs passage of a comprehensive, multiyear Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible.

One of the most pressing is to grow the rural economy in a way that creates new jobs and reverses the troubling decline in population that we’ve seen recently in America’s small towns.

This week, USDA’s Economic Research Service released its annual report on the economic condition of rural America – the 2013 Rural America at a Glance report.   The data in this report underscores the challenges of stagnant job growth and persistent poverty faced by many communities across rural America.

• Rural America shared in the economic recovery following the Great Recession. Unfortunately, job growth has leveled off in rural areas over the past 18 months and rural areas are creating jobs at a slower rate than our cities.
• Persistent poverty still plagues many rural areas. More than 570 of America’s 703 high-poverty counties are in rural America, with many of these counties experiencing persistently high poverty that lasts several decades.
• And, rural America has continued to lose population in real terms. Between 2010 and 2012, rural communities saw a drop of more than 44,000 people, which is unprecedented in recent decades.

To reverse these trends, we need a renewed national commitment to economic growth in rural America. Since 2009, USDA has carried out a wide range of efforts to assist rural communities, grow the rural economy and save jobs. In addition to these investments we have worked across the Obama Administration to explore new pathways to growth.

These include the StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity initiative that targets USDA technical assistance in areas of high poverty, and the White House Rural Council that has brought many different Federal agencies to bear in providing coordinated help for small towns and rural communities.

But to continue providing assistance in rural America and creating a foundation for future economic growth, we need Congress to provide a new, long-term Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible. A new Farm Bill would grow the economy, keep people in our small towns and attract new residents.

It would invest to further increase agricultural exports, and strengthen new markets for agriculture – while reforming the farm safety net in a way that reduces the deficit and ensures needed assistance for our farmers and ranchers.

It would pave the way for innovative new conservation opportunities that could create new wealth in rural areas while protecting our land and water for future generations.

It would spur new opportunities to manufacture biobased products and energy from homegrown materials, which hold a very promising future for job creation in rural America.

The Farm Bill would maintain critical nutrition assistance that helps millions of vulnerable Americans, including children, seniors, people with disabilities and returning veterans.

And the Farm Bill would further invest in the future of Main Street businesses and communities, complementing the Administration’s innovative efforts through the Rural Council and StrikeForce initiative.

This week’s economic report highlights the need to create new opportunity in rural America, grow the economy in our small towns and create new jobs. We can achieve these goals in partnership with communities across the nation – but it is critically important that Congress provide a Food, Farm and Jobs Bill that strengthens this important work.

Couples Head to Farmland for Rural Nuptials

Looking for a wedding venue?

Try saying "I Moo." Check it out http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=20717736 at this link.

USDA Provides Grants for Broadband in Rural Areas; No Grants in NY

From the USDA:

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday announced 14 awards for projects to bring broadband to unserved rural communities.

None of the awards were in New York state.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service Administrator John Padalino made the announcement on the Secretary's behalf while addressing a regional meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in San Antonio.
"Access to broadband is one of the most important investments in rural communities today," Vilsack said. "These awards will help create jobs, and give rural residents greater access to educational, health care and social services."
USDA is providing $20.3 million in grants through the Community Connect Grant program.

Ag Secretary: A Farm Bill Extension Won't Work

Weekly column from Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack:

In just a few days, Congress will come back to Washington, D.C. and rural America is counting on passage of a comprehensive, multiyear Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible.

In January, Congress extended some of the 2008 Farm Bill programs for nine months. This didn’t include important disaster assistance programs for farmers and ranchers. On September 30, many of these programs will expire, leaving producers and rural communities without a wide variety of Farm Bill programs.

While Congress has already extended these programs once, another extension of current law isn’t common sense and it won’t solve this challenge.

An extension won’t provide the certainty that has for so long been a cornerstone of the Farm Bill. It would deny farmers and ranchers the ability to plan their operation around a predictable, long-term farm safety net. For rural communities, it would provide little certainty with regard to economic development programs. It would set no long-term standards for conservation or renewable energy programs.

And failure to pass a comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would do nothing to solve the Brazil cotton trade dispute. Left unresolved, this situation threatens producers and small businesses in America with hundreds of millions of dollars annually in tariff penalties against U.S. agriculture products and other American-made goods.

All of this uncertainty would diminish the positive impacts that Farm Bill programs have in rural America. Another extension would not accomplish the many important goals that would be achieved through passage of a comprehensive, long-term bill. In many respects, it would simply reward failure on the part of Congress.

However, Congress has the opportunity to tackle this challenge and get a comprehensive bill done for rural America. A multi-year Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would lend the certainty and predictability that producers and rural communities deserve. It would put our farmers and ranchers in a position to continue a period of strong growth and growing exports, while providing a leg up for rural communities and working families.

Rural America is counting on Congress to get their job done as soon as possible on a new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill – not another extension.

Small Dairies and The Big Apple

A great read.

Go to http://www.dailyyonder.com/upstate-farmers-connect-%E2%80%98foodies%E2%80%99/2013/06/03/6139 to see this story about the connect or disconnect between Upstate New York dairies and New York City.

Money Available to Provide Safe Housing for Farm Workers

This news is from the USDA:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing nearly $40 million for housing for farmworkers and their families.

Under the Farm Labor Housing Program, loans and grants are provided to farmers, farmers associations, family farm corporations, Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and farmworkers associations to develop or improve multi-family housing facilities for farmworkers and their families.

For example, USDA provided Bienestar, a nonprofit organization in Hillsboro, Ore., a grant and loan to construct a 24-unit farmworker apartment complex in Forest Grove, Ore. The complex opened in December 2012. In addition to providing new, modern two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments for residents, the facility also provides services such as English as a Second Language tutoring, and classes on computers, financial literacy, and nutrition.

Wednesday's announcement makes available about $30 million in loans, $8.5 million in grants, and $951,000 in rental assistance. Applications for Farm Labor Housing assistance are due Sept..

More information about how to apply is available in the Aug. 14, 2013 Federal Register www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-08-14/html/2013-19774.htm or by contacting any USDA Rural Development state office.

4 New York State Projects Receive USDA Funding

News from the USDA:

A total of 131 projects in 30 states -- including New York state -- are receiving money through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support small and emerging rural business.

The funding was made available through the Rural Business Enterprise Grant program, which promotes development of small and emerging businesses in rural areas. These grants may also be used to help fund distance learning networks and employment-related adult education programs.

Eligible applicants for the program include public bodies, nonprofit corporations and federally recognized Indian Tribes.

In the past five years, the Rural Business Enterprise Grant program has helped create or save more than 73,000 rural jobs, provided more than $170.9 million in economic development assistance, improved manufacturing capability, and expanded health care and educational facilities and has either expanded or helped establish almost 41,070 rural businesses and community projects, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Here are the projects being funded in New York state:

New York Philmont Beautification, Inc., $30,000, money will be used to renovate a building and convert the space to a year-round farmers' market.

Village of Angelica, $99,000, money will be used to renovate and rebuild a village electric substation.

 

New York Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corp., $60,000, money will be used to purchase equipment.

 

Washington County LDC, $90,670, money will be used to purchase equipment for a cheese factory expansion project.

Tioga County to Receive Grant for Bioenergy Marketing Initiative

News from the USDA:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday announced projects in 17 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico -- including one project in New York -- that will receive loan and grant assistance to create jobs and boost economic development in rural areas.

Tuesday's announcement involves funding provided through three USDA economic development programs: the Intermediary Relending Program, the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program and the Rural Business Opportunity Grant Program.

In New York state, the Tioga County Rural Economic Area Partnership will receive $98,860 through the Rural Business Opportunity Grant Program. The money will be used to support the county's Bioenergy Marketing Initiative.

The total grant money provided by the three USDA programs for these 28 projects is nearly $13 million.

Benefits of a Climate Action Plan for Rural America

U.S. Ag Secretary Thomas Vilsack's weekly column:

This past week, folks across the nation have come together with family and friends to celebrate America’s independence – and millions are enjoying the great outdoors.

That’s why this is an appropriate time to remember that we must protect America’s natural treasures for generations to come. A changing climate poses new threats to this goal – from an increased risk of severe wildfire, to more intense storms, to worse problems from invasive pests.

Last week, President Obama outlined a Climate Action Plan to responsibly cut carbon pollution, slow the effects of climate change and put us on track to a cleaner environment.

We’ve already started making progress toward these goals. Carbon pollution from the energy sector fell to the lowest level in two decades last year, thanks in part to renewable energy from rural America.

But we can and must do more. The President’s plan will apply new efficiency standards for energy creation. It will expand permits for renewable energy, like wind and solar, on public lands – while supporting the creation of biofuel across the countryside. It also calls for partnership with the auto industry to develop cleaner vehicles that will save folks money.

Even with these steps, we know that climate change can’t be reversed overnight. That’s why the President’s plan will help America prepare for the impacts of a changing climate. For us at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that includes helping farmers, ranchers and producers adapt to new challenges and create modern solutions.

In recent weeks, USDA has announced the creation of seven new “regional climate hubs” to provide farmers and ranchers with regionally-appropriate information to adapt to climate change. To help researchers and scientists, we’ve opened up data from the largest soil carbon survey ever undertaken, the Rapid Carbon Assessment. And through our online “COMET-FARM” tool, farmers and ranchers can see how conservation practices can help their operation, while protecting the environment.

Additional information about all of these efforts is available at www.usda.gov/climatesolutions.

Rural Americans have a long history of innovation, and a strong commitment to conservation. These efforts are more important than ever as we face the challenges posed by a changing climate. At USDA, we’ll support producers in adapting to new threats, while helping rural America innovate to lead the world against this modern challenge.

Just What is Rural?

I guess the U.S. government doesn't know.

Read this: http://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/10/news/nation/15-different-definitions-of-rural-makes-getting-federal-aid-more-than-a-little-complicated/

USDA: Growing Rural Economies, Creating Jobs

Go to http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/06/19/white-house-rural-council-growing-rural-economies-creating-jobs/ to check out the USDA blog entry.

Deadline Approaches for Small, Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grant Program

This comes from the USDA:

The deadline is in mid-July to apply for USDA help for small, socially disadvantaged agricultural producers in rural areas. 

Funding will be made available through USDA Rural Development's Small, Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grant program. The maximum grant award is $200,000.

The grants assist producers like Frank Taylor who returned home after college and established the Winston County Self-Help Cooperative in Mississippi, a consortium of local farmers that pool their resources to receive training in business development, conservation and health.

The Small Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grant and other USDA business and cooperative development programs have had a significant impact on rural communities. In 2012 alone, they helped almost 10,000 rural small business owners or farmers improve their enterprises. Business and cooperative program funding created or saved an estimated 53,000 rural jobs in 2012.

Eligible applicants include cooperatives, groups of cooperatives, and cooperative development centers where a majority of the governing board or board of directors is comprised of individuals who are members of socially disadvantaged groups.

Small, socially disadvantaged producers include farmers, ranchers, loggers, agricultural harvesters, and fishermen that have averaged $250,000 or less in annual gross sales of agricultural products in the last three years.

Producers will be able to conduct market research, product and/or service improvement, feasibility studies, training, and implement business plans.

The application deadline for Small, Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grants is July 15, 2013 for paper applications and July 10, 2013 for electronic applications. For additional information on how to apply, go to http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_SSDPG.html.