Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Vice President Joe Biden were in St. Cloud, MN last week attending a Middle Class Task Force Meeting. The purpose of the task force is to aid in developing policies that assist middle class families in improving living standards. USDA Secretary Vilsack’s speech primarily focused on how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, passed in February, will be benefiting rural Minnesota specifically. One of the highlights of his speech was $7,514,890 in Direct Operating Loans that have been committed to 87 Minnesota farmers, half of them beginning farmers.

The Secretary also focused on the role of farms and ranches and broader rural communities in leading the expansion of alternative fuel capacity. He also spoke about how the USDA has been supporting research in areas such as biofuels and biorefinery technology as well as future applications and adaptations of wind and solar energy in the agriculture sector.

On a national level, the Recovery Act has committed $28 billion to the USDA. $19.7 billion of this allocation will be used to increase the monthly amount of nutritional assistance to 31.8 million Americans. The Act is also subsidizing opportunities for broadband loan and grant expansion in rural America, expansion of water and waste facilities, and conservation efforts protecting the nation’s forest and farmlands.

The program that received the largest allocation from the Act was the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program however, other significant allocations from the act include; $3.8 billion for rural utility service expansion, $1.2 billion for forestry maintenance services, and $794 million for agricultural disaster assistance transition.

-GDH