Vilsack and Chu Visit Va. on ‘Revitalization’ Tour of Rural America

Rocky Womack
Virginia Correspondent

BLAIRS, Va. — On July 18, 2009, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Energy Secretary Steve Chu visited Virginia to spread the Obama Administration message of rebuilding and revitalizing rural America and expressing acknowledgement that the nation is struggling.

“I want to first and foremost recognize these are extraordinarily stressful times for our country, and they have been particularly stressful for folks in rural communities,” Vilsack said. “I’ve heard distressing anxiety, frustration in all parts of the county, particularly from dairy farmers.”

To assist struggling dairy farmers who have suffered through low prices, Vilsack said the federal government plans to purchase about 280 million pounds of nonfat dry milk to remove it from the marketplace. In addition, the government has begun the process of issuing milk payments under the current farm bill. Those two efforts will flood about $2 billion into the system to help the dairy industry, he said.

The Obama administration is also looking strongly at the benefits of its existing resources. “We have had and still do have incredible resources,” Chu said. He explained that some of these resources include oil, natural gas and minerals. Just as important are the country’s agricultural resources, and he said Americans can use these valuable resources to their advantage. They can grow crops to feed the world and fuel the nation’s energy appetite. Research going on in these areas will supply opportunities for farmers and advantages for all Americans. For instance, he said farmers in the future may plant grasses and not have to replant them for several years later, saving trips over the field and thus reducing fuel usage in tractors, as well as reducing input costs by decreasing fertilizer applications.

To assistant Virginia in cultivating more of its resources, the state will receive more than $94 million through the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program. This lets low-income families permanently reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. The DOE also will provide the state with $70 million in State Energy Program funding. This goes to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, which Chu said will create and retain jobs.

Vilsack and Chu were chosen by the president to lead a rural tour, visiting communities across the United States such as the Blairs area, just north of Danville, Va. They also are emphasizing what the administration is doing to pull rural America through this difficult economy and bring back prosperity to small communities in the nation.

“This is the greatest opportunity I have seen in my lifetime for real prosperity to return to rural communities, for us to have the opportunity to say to our children and grandchildren that there is indeed opportunity in rural communities,” Vilsack said. “Why do I say that? Because when you create broadband opportunities, you’re expanding local markets to global markets. When you create energy programs, you’re creating jobs that will be located here in America, allowing us to break our addiction to foreign oil and creating new ways to use the crops we can grow abundantly in this country. All that generates income and wealth.”