The White House plans to crisscross rural America to promote opportunities

“So instead of just having commodity crops and livestock and government payments, you have climate-smart agriculture, you have markets for ecosystem services, you have electricity, you have processing capacity, you have local regional food markets, you have Mid-October: “Buying opportunity, reduced fertilizer, and converted agricultural waste into a variety of different products.”

He added: “And now as an entrepreneurial option, you have a small and medium-sized operation that receives checks from the REC (Rural Electric Cooperative), ecosystem services marketplace, or value-added offering. Sell directly, get a better price.”

“So, that’s the goal,” Vilsack added. “For that to happen, I think we in the countryside have to decide whether we’re OK with ‘go big or get out,’ or whether we want to go big.” Entrepreneurial choice, choice.”

The White House said Sunday that Biden and other members of his administration will travel to rural communities across the country in the coming weeks to highlight the bipartisan infrastructure bill’s investments such as “high-speed internet, safe roads and bridges, modern sewer systems, clean drinking water and reliable electricity.” And at reasonable prices.” Administration officials will also emphasize investments under the inflation-reducing law, especially the $19.5 billion allocated to climate-smart agriculture.

On Wednesday, Biden and Vilsack will visit Dutch Creek Farms near Northfield, Minnesota, about 30 minutes south of the Minneapolis metro area. Vilsack will then travel to Indiana on Thursday to speak at the Future Farmers of America (FFA) national conference to talk about “opportunities for the next generation of agricultural leaders.”

Vilsack also plans to travel to Colorado and Wyoming to highlight ways to “help protect and preserve our lands for future generations.”

USDA Deputy Secretary Chichitel Torres Small is scheduled to visit Wisconsin and Michigan to support rural economic development initiatives as well.

The White House has detailed some travel plans for several Cabinet members in the coming weeks. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will also stop in New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona. Haaland is scheduled to visit Wyoming to speak at the Western Governors Association meeting. US Trade Ambassador Katherine Tai is scheduled to travel to Indiana to talk about “efforts to support rural communities through international trade by ensuring the benefits of trade reach farmers and producers.”

The White House highlighted efforts to spend $1 billion to expand meat and poultry processing capacity as well as efforts to spend $900 million to increase domestic fertilizer production. To date, the USDA has awarded $121 million to 30 different fertilizer projects.

White House Fact Sheet: https://www.whitehouse.gov/…

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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