Rural Summit Part 2

Rural Summit Part 2. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Last week Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and others took part in the final visit to rural communities on a fact finding mission called the Rural Summit. VILSACK: I was certainly pleased by the participation particularly in the breakout sessions. People took their responsibilities in the breakout sessions very, very seriously. They talked about the need for us to take a look at a regional approach. It wasn't just an individual community. They talked about the need for us to continue to promote flexibility in our rules and regulations. This is a message I also heard at the Great American Outdoors Initiative that we had earlier in the week in Montana. The Rural Summit took place at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Missouri where many attendees showed Vilsack that there was indeed a great deal of innovation and ingenuity in rural America. VILSACK: They felt there was a future in biofuels and renewable energy and there was a need for broadband expansion and conservation was critical, especially utilizing it to tap that outdoor market. Very interested in eco-system markets and the work at USDA to set up an office of eco-system markets. Folks talked obviously about the need for appropriate safety net; additional risk management coverage for some of the specialty crops that are not yet covered under risk management. The need for USDA to continue to advocate on behalf of folks in rural communities with other federal agencies Another part if the discussion centered on nutrition assistance. He says they will evaluate all the suggestions and hope to put them into action soon. VILSACK: What I took away from the summit was a reaffirmation that this framework, this new revitalized rural economy is something people are excited about and committed to. Today we learned that there's continued job growth in the country and this is I think a reflection in part of the work that USDA is doing through the recovery act. Well over 430-thousand some jobs added to the economy. I think it's important to point out this is the 5th consecutive month of job growth. The private sector seems to be getting more confident and expanding operations. This certainly contrasts very well with the first 5 months last year where we were losing hundreds of thousands of jobs. This National Summit culminates the Rural Tour Secretary Vilsack led last year to 22 states where he and other members of the Obama Administration began a conversation with farmers, ranchers, and people who live in rural communities. And last week, Vilsack joined President Obama as he visited rural communities in America's heartland on the White House to Main Street tour and continued to hear stories and ideas for rebuilding our economy in the long term. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.