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Postal proposal could have been worse

February 8, 2013 By 1 Comment

The U.S. Postal Service has announced plans to cut mail delivery on Saturdays and that could overly burden rural Americans, especially senior citizens according to Rhonda Perry, program director of the Missouri Rural Crisis Center. She concedes that the proposal could have been worse. Perry tells Brownfield Ag News, “I do think that there were earlier proposals that could have been even more damaging.”

The Postal Service says it would save about $2 Billion a year by delivering packages-only on Saturdays. It would maintain its Monday through Friday delivery of ALL mail items.

Perry says there are a high number of senior citizens in rural areas who don’t have internet access and rely on postal delivery of medications through the VA system, “All of those things really add up in terms of a slowdown for people in terms of getting their mail and even critical medicines and medications –so- we are concerned that this will have an inordinate effect on rural communities.”

It’s unclear whether the postal proposal needs Congressional approval. The postal service says its new schedule would begin in early August, 2013.

AUDIO: Rhonda Perry (3:00 mp3)

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Rural Issues Tagged With: , ,

Noem against postal plan due to rural concerns

February 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment

South Dakota Congresswoman Kristi Noem says she does not support the US Postal Service’s plan to cut back mail delivery on Saturdays. With South Dakota being a rural state, she says the postal service should review all available options before making decisions that “affect South Dakotans and the rest of rural America.” The proposal would still have packages delivered on Saturdays, just not regular letters and mail.

Noem says she understands the postal service has to take steps to be financially viable but its service is “critical to the way families and businesses operate.”

 

Filed Under: Human Interest, News Tagged With: , , ,

Rural health care programs extended in fiscal cliff fix

January 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Several rural health care programs were extended in the fiscal cliff bill passed by Congress and signed by President Obama that also extended the farm bill for one year. Garrett Hawkins, national legislative director for the Missouri Farm Bureau, tells Brownfield Ag News that the Low-Volume Hospital Program and the Medicare-Dependent Hospital Program have also been extended for a year.

“Both are really aimed at trying to help provide stability to small, especially rural hospitals and, ultimately, continue to have that access there to health care especially that’s so important to seniors,”  Hawkins tells Brownfield Ag News.

AUDIO: Garrett Hawkins (4:00 mp3)

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Rural Issues Tagged With: , , ,

Rural health care programs in fiscal cliff bill

January 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

There’s not been much talk about it but several rural health care programs were extended in the fiscal cliff bill passed by Congress that also extended the farm bill for one year.  Garrett Hawkins, national legislative director for the Missouri Farm Bureau, tells Brownfield Ag News that the Low-Volume Hospital Program and the Medicare-Dependent Hospital Program have also been extended for a year.

“Both are really aimed at trying to help provide stability to small, especially rural hospitals and, ultimately, continue to have that access there to health care especially that’s so important to seniors,” says Hawkins.

The fiscal cliff bill also extended the Medicare Physician Payment provision which prevents reductions in Medicare payment rates and guarantees continued access for seniors to their doctors which Hawkins says most people are aware of.

While Hawkins says farm bureau members have concerns about the federal Affordable Care Act (‘ObamaCare’), rural health care needs to be part of the discussion.

“The health care debate is far from over and we should be having these discussions,” Hawkins tells Brownfield, “And, they’re important because as we talk about the federal deficit and the growing federal debt we need to figure out what the priorities are. And, for rural areas, having that access to health care is extremely important.”  Hawkins says the Missouri Farm Bureau supports quality, affordable, accessible health care for all rural Americans.

AUDIO: Garrett Hawkins (4:00 mp3)

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, Human Interest, News Tagged With: , , , , ,

A conversation with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

January 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment

vilsack-tom 12-12In this exclusive interview with Brownfield, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack shares his thoughts on the extension of the 2008 farm bill, the failure to get a new five-year farm bill passed in 2012, his concern that rural America is becoming less and less relevant to the politics of this country, and what he thinks needs to happen in order for that to change.  We also asked Vilsack about his future and if wants to continue as President Obama’s agriculture secretary.

AUDIO: Tom Vilsack (12:05 MP3)

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Rural Issues Tagged With: , , , , ,

Vilsack continues ‘relevance’ discussion

December 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In a speech this week to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack continued his discussion on the “relevance” of rural America.

Vilsack’s comment at a recent Farm Journal forum that “rural America, with a shrinking population, is becoming less and less relevant to the politics of this country” has generated a considerable amount of discussion in the ag community.

In this latest speech, Vilsack said he’s concerned about the lack of appreciation for what happens in rural America.

“It is the source of our food—accessible, affordable food—that gives us a more secure nation,” Vilsack said. “It is the source of our water—88 percent of our water that we consume is impacted and affected by what occurs in rural America.  It is the source of an ever-increasing amount of our fuel and energy.  It is a job creator and it is a place where our values are rooted.”

Vilsack thinks that lack of appreciation has caused some in rural America to create what he calls “a defensive and reactive response”.

“They’ve created a preservation mentality—let’s hang on to what we have,” Vilsack said. “The reality is if you have that mentality, then you’re not open to the growth potential and opportunity that exists.”

That mentality, said Vilsack, is particularly discouraging to young people.

“How is it that we make the case to young people to want to live, work and raise their families in rural areas if we are constantly telling them how difficult things are,” he said.

“There is an unlimited opportunity in rural America.  There is a rebirth that can take place in rural America.  There is a proactive and optimistic and innovative and creative message that can be conveyed to those who are considering an opportunity in rural America.”

AUDIO: Excerpt from Tom Vilsack’s speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (1:37 MP3)

Audio courtesy of farmpolicy.com

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , ,

The importance of Rural America

December 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Lt. Governor Becky Skillman

Lt. Governor Becky Skillman

Part of the mission of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture is to help with economic development in Rural America.  As Becky Skillman finishes her last few days in her role as not only the state’s Lt. Governor – but also its Secretary of Agriculture she says agriculture and Rural America have been vital to the success of the state. 

Over the last 8 years – the Lt. Governor says the state has seen over $8 billion of private capital investment in new or expanding food or agricultural businesses.  “I would venture to say 90-95 percent of that was in our rural areas of the state,” she says.  “It was biofuels production facilities and other food and agricultural companies.”

And in her opinion – if the agriculture industry is successful – so is the economy.  “The agricultural sector helped keep our state very strong,” she says.  “During the recession in 2008, 2009, and beyond.”

Indiana’s Lt. Governor will head to Radius Indiana following the completion of her term.  Radius Indiana is an eight-county economic development regional partnership located in southern Indiana.

 

AUDIO: Lt. Governor Becky Skillman (3:37mp3)

 

Filed Under: News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , ,

Stabenow blasts House leader over farm bill

December 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Senate Ag committee chairwoman Debbie Stabenow blasted House GOP leaders during a speech on the Senate floor for ongoing inaction on a five-year farm bill.  On Wednesday, taking a stronger tone than normal, Stabenow said she is “appalled” that Speaker John Boehner has done nothing to move it forward.  Stabenow

“The 16-Million people across America who work because of agriculture, deserve to be a priority.”  Stabenow said the question isn’t whether the House and Senate Ag leaders can come together on a commodity title, because she says they can and they will. She says the question is, “Whether or not as we are seeing efforts to being worked on for a larger deficit reduction package, whether the House leadership will think rural America and agriculture are important enough to include. That’s the question.”

Stabenow pointed out that it’s been 80 days since the 2008 farm bill expired.  The Senate-passed farm bill and the House Ag-approved farm bill propose significant budget savings, but aides to Boehner tell Politico that the speaker doesn’t want to include a farm bill in a fiscal cliff package for fear of losing more Republican votes.

Filed Under: Crops, Dairy, Human Interest, Livestock, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Vilsack says he’s still hopeful for ’12 Farm Bill

December 3, 2012 By 1 Comment

US Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, who met recently with leaders of the House and Senate Ag Committees says they are on board to get a five-year farm bill through Congress.

Vilsack tells Brownfield Ag News he’s still hopeful it can get done in 2012, “I realize the fiscal cliff discussions are tough but I wanted to ensure that the leaders of the House and Senate ag committees were in a position that when and if an agreement was reached on the fiscal cliff that a Farm Bill could be easily attached to that agreement and passed before the end of the year.”

Vilsack says they don’t support a short term extension of the current farm bill because it’s too risky – adding there’s no certainty where the money will come from and new members of Congress unfamiliar with farm legislation are coming on board next year.

If ag leadership fails to get a full farm bill through, Vilsack warns, “It may be sort of forced on us with others coming up with a number, others coming up with a policy and I don’t think that would be in the best interests of folks in rural America and, as a result, I don’t think it’s in the best interests of the country as a whole.”

In his meeting with Ag Committee leaders Stabenow, Lucas, Peterson and Roberts – Vilsack says Senator Roberts showed willingness to be flexible on the commodity title and the ag secretary says he believes the other differences in the Senate and House farm bills CAN be worked out and they’re going to be ready.

AUDIO: Tom Vilsack (9:00 mp3)

Filed Under: News, Top Stories, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , , ,

Wind energy industry optimistic for extension

November 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

There’s optimism in wind energy circles that the production tax credit will be extended rather than expiring at the end of the year. Dan McGuire is the outreach coordinator with Wind Powering America.  He tells Brownfield Ag News, “With the elections behind us now and the administration supports extension of it and the Senate does – so, they’re optimistic from the American Wind Energy Association, that it’ll get extended.”

McGuire says lots of governors, both Republican and Democrat, are pushing for an extension because he says wind energy is a big economic driver that is bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.  He says, “In previous years, we were importing most of the components into the U.S. but there’s been manufacturing and it’s pushed by the Wind Production tax credit.”  McGuire says there are 500 manufacturing facilities for wind energy equipment in 44 states.

McGuire is also co-chair of the Nebraska Wind Energy Working Group.  He says, “I like to always point to Iowa, even though I’m from Nebraska. Iowa has 20% of its electricity now being generated by wind energy. They have really gone great guns over there and I tip my hat to ‘em for doing so well. They are an example of what we could do nationally.”  McGuire says the U.S. Department of Energy’s target for wind energy is also 20% by 2030.

While it’s not the total answer for renewable energy production, McGuire says wind energy is an important part of it — as well as being a rural economic driver.  “People say, well, that’s just for those landowners. No, it isn’t. It’s property tax revenue streams into your local county tax coffers which helps all the schools. And, it’s sales tax revenue into your state tax coffers and it’s hundreds of thousands of jobs.”

In their pitch to Congress to renew the wind energy subsidy, wind energy groups, such as the American Wind Energy Association, are increasingly pointing to its economic benefits.

AUDIO: Dan McGuire (10:00 mp3)

Filed Under: News, Renewable Energy Tagged With: , , , , ,
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