BY TOM VILSACK, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

Last week I traveled to El Reno as part of President Obama’s “Rural Tour” to listen to Oklahomans about how the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Obama administration can work to rebuild and revitalize rural America…read more here

If you like birds, and you like to take pictures, USDA/APHIS’ Biosecurity For Birds campaign is inviting you to enter your best poultry or pet bird photos in the Biosecurity For Birds calendar photo contest.

We are especially interested in photos of all kinds of poultry, gamebirds, wild birds, shorebirds, and pet birds shown in a clean environment and without people in the pictures. People of all ages are encouraged to enter.

The winning poultry or bird photo (or photos) will be featured in the 2011 Biosecurity For Birds calendar. Photos will be featured on the Biosecurity For Birds website http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov and may be featured as screensavers.

Your photos should accurately reflect the subject matter, and the main image should not be digitally altered beyond removing dust, cropping, cleaning up the background and making reasonable adjustments to exposure, color and contrast, etc. All photos will be credited with the person’s name.

Entries can be submitted through the official on-line entry form here. A maximum of three photos per person will be accepted.

The deadline for submitting entries for the calendar is January 31, 2010. Winner(s) will be notified by e-mail by February 28.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today visited the Redlands Community College and held a ‘Rural Tour’ community forum to discuss efforts by the Obama Administration to rebuild and revitalize rural America, listen to local residents talk about how the federal government can assist them, and discuss solutions to challenges facing their communities.

“To overcome challenges and be successful in a new, 21st century economy, President Obama has asked that we reach out to people in rural communities across the country to listen, learn and facilitate problem-solving,” said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. “It is critically important to hear the thoughts, concerns and stories about Oklahoma’s vision for its future and to collect ideas about how USDA can better serve these communities.”

At today’s rural community forum, Vilsack discussed how the USDA is working to promote a sustainable, safe, sufficient and nutritious food supply, ensure that America leads the global fight against climate change, and revitalize rural communities by expanding economic opportunities.

Secretary Vilsack also highlighted the USDA’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act efforts that are underway in Oklahoma and across the country, including the following:

USDA’s Rural Development has helped guarantee 1,604 loans worth more than $165 million in the state of Oklahoma through the Single Family Housing Loan program. These loans help residents and producers to have access to the capital they need to keep rural communities strong.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency is providing $5.21 million through 111 Direct Operating Farm Loans. These loans help farms purchase items such as livestock, farm equipment, feed, seed, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance, and other operating expenses.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service announced more than $14 million for 7 watershed rehabilitation projects and over $3.1 million for 11 watershed operation projects. In addition, the USDA will be investing $2.8 million for 4 floodplain easement projects.

Through USDA’s Rural Development, $1.35 million will be made available for 14 community facilities projects. Community Facility Grants will allow towns across Oklahoma to purchase critical emergency service vehicles and equipment, build Emergency Operations Centers and community centers.

USDA’s Rural Development has issued three Rural Business and Enterprise Grants for a total of $888,749.

Through USDA, the Recovery Act provided for an estimated increase of more than $259 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Oklahoma. Most four-person households will receive an $80 increase in their monthly SNAP benefit. Eligibility limits on jobless adults will be suspended in most areas. The State of Oklahoma also received over $1.6 million in State Administrative Funds.

USDA is also helping low-income Oklahoma residents to receive healthy, nutritious meals through $1.45 million in funding from The Emergency Food Assistance Program. Kids in Oklahoma also will benefit from over $1.5 million through the National School Lunch Program.
USDA’s Rural Development is providing over $21 million to help make improvements at 5 water and waste treatment projects.

In June, President Obama announced that Secretary Vilsack will lead the Administration’s Rural Tour to visit rural communities in states throughout the country. Secretary Vilsack is scheduled to lead Rural Tour events with a variety of other top administration officials over the coming weeks and months in Nebraska and New Mexico. This is the nineteenth similar forum Secretary Vilsack has led since being sworn, and this event follows rural listening sessions held in Zanesville, Ohio, Modesto, Calif., Sedalia, Mo., Des Moines, Iowa, Hamlet, N.C., Bethel, Alaska, St. John Parish, La., Blairs, Va., West Salem, Wis., Charlotte, Mich., Concord, N.H., Wattsburg, Pa., Danville, Ind., Geneseo, Ill., Harrodsburg, Ky., Ludowici, Ga., Portageville, Mo., and Brush, Colo.

USDA recently launched a new website and social media tools designed to enhance discussions and facilitate innovation for challenges facing rural America. All Americans can follow the Rural Tour’s progress online at www.RuralTour.gov.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA will soon be accepting applications for grants to assist agricultural producers seeking to add value to the commodities they produce. Approximately $18 million will be awarded nationwide.

“These grants strengthen rural economies and create jobs by helping farmers and ranchers add value to their agricultural products by using them for planning activities such as feasibility studies, marketing and business plans, or for working capital,” Vilsack said. “This program also supports President Obama’s goal to expand our nation’s renewable energy resources by helping farmers develop renewable energy from agricultural products.”

Vilsack highlighted a past grant recipient in Ohio as an example of how local producers have used USDA’s Value Added Producer Grant funds to expand markets for locally grown produce. The Chef’s Garden, Inc., in Huron, Ohio, received a $97,500 grant to explore the feasibility of processing and marketing products derived from locally-grown produce. The 40-year-old company has completed market research efforts and is now selecting products to market to consumers. The company projects a 20 percent increase in sales.

USDA plans to award planning grants of up to $100,000 and working capital grants of up to $300,000 to successful applicants. Applicants are encouraged to propose projects that use existing agricultural products in non-traditional ways or merge agricultural products with technology in creative ways. Businesses of all sizes may apply, but priority will be given to operators of small and medium-sized family farms – those with average, annual gross sales of less than $700,000.

Applicants must provide matching funds equal to the amount of the grant requested. Ten percent of the funding being made available is reserved for beginning farmers or ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. An additional 10 percent is reserved for projects involving local and regional supply networks that link independent producers with businesses and cooperatives that market value-added products.

Paper and electronic applications must be submitted to the Rural Development state office in the state where the project will be located. A list of state offices is available here. Electronic applications must be submitted through www.Grants.gov . The Department will publish the official notice for funding availability in the Federal Register within the next week, and will begin accepting applications at that time.

USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack has agreed to speak at the National Association of Seed Venture Funds annual conference September 14-16, 2009 in Oklahoma City. The Secretary will speak about how agricultural research is in the forefront of technology transfer.

Today’s Journal Record has more on the story here.

Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
Outlook
Kathryn Quanbeck
kquanbeck@ers.usda.gov
Rachel J. Johnson
rjohnson@ers.usda.gov

Beef: Declining dairy cow inventories, no growth in dairy replacement heifer inventories, and beef heifer inventories that are declining more rapidly than beef cow inventories imply continuing liquidation of the national cow herd. The other-heifer category contributes to short-term beef supplies, but the combination of reduced replacement heifer inventories, increased short-term heifer beef, and declining
placements of cattle in feedlots will likely result in reduced beef supplies beyond 2009.

Beef Trade: Beef exports declined slightly in the second quarter, as demand from Canada, Mexico, and South Korea remains weaker than last year. The United States imported 14 percent more beef in the second quarter, compared with 2008, mainly due to increased exports from Australia and New Zealand. Imports are expected to increase in
2009 and 2010.

Poultry: After declining strongly in the first and second quarters of 2009, broiler meat production is expected to be only slightly lower than the previous year in the second half of 2009. With only a small decline in production and lower exports, the forecasts for broiler ending stocks were increased for the third and fourth quarters. Turkey meat production is expected to continue much lower than the previous year in second-half 2009, as poultry placements have been sharply lower than the previous year through the first 6 months of 2009.

Pork: Summer prices for hogs and pork cuts continue to languish at year-over-year lower levels due to lackluster demand for pork products. Second-quarter pork exports were 31 percent lower than a year ago, largely due to lower demand for U.S. pork in Asia.

Click here for the full report.

News services are reporting that Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman, Tom Harkin, wants USDA to be given regulatory authority over all food sold in schools including vending machines. According to reports, Mr. Harkin believes the sales of some snack foods are counterproductive to current efforts to improve nutrition and fight childhood obesity.

Reports also quote the Obama administrations nominee to head USDA food and nutrition programs as saying he wants to make it possible for those who depend on federal food programs to be able to purchase more foods from farmers markets. We have to assume this includes school lunch programs.

At any rate, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Terry Peach said he supports any programs that educate young people about good nutrition and that combat childhood obesity.

“We’ve been working to educate our students through our Ag in the Classroom program for years not only about agriculture but about good eating habits for better health,” he said. “For the past five years our Farm to School program has been working to increase locally grown foods in our state school lunch services. I hope USDA will want to help increase these opportunities.”

Peach said he recognizes some school systems are opposed to eliminating or even reducing vending machine choices.

“I realize there are school programs that receive a portion of their funding through vending machine sales and I hope all parties can work together to meet the financial needs of the programs and at the same time improve the overall health of students,” he said.

There are a variety of healthy snacks that could work, he said. Juices, whole grain crackers, fruits and similar items could replace less healthy choices.

Click here to read the full Reuters news article.

Last night’s announcement that President Obama’s administration named Francie Tolle as State Farm Service Agency Director and former state representative Ryan McMullen as USDA Director for Rural Development was welcomed by farm groups and several state agricultural leaders.

Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Terry Peach, said he welcomes both individuals and looks forward to working with them in the future.
As a former FSA State Director, he said he knows Francie will do an excellent job for Oklahoma.

“Having served in that office under the Clinton administration I know what the challenges and the needs of FSA can be,” he said this morning. “I’ve known Francie for years and we brought her on board here at the state agriculture department when we decided to create the Agritourism Division. We knew she was the right person for building the program and I am confident she will make a positive difference for FSA and the state of Oklahoma.”

He said he was also looking forward to working with Ryan McMullen on rural development issues and projects.

“Rural Development and creating economic growth in our rural areas are two of our special interests at the agency and priorities of Governor Henry,” Peach said. “I’ve worked with Ryan on agricultural and rural economic issues since he was elected as a state representative in 2004 and I’m looking forward to working with him at his new post.”

To learn more about the Farm Service Agency, visit their website here.

The USDA Rural Development website is located at this link.

In honor of Earth Day, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declared the entire grounds at the USDA Jamie L. Whitten Building as ‘The People’s Garden’ and unveiled plans to create a sustainable landscape on the grounds.

“USDA is an every day every way kind of department and this garden will help illustrate the many ways USDA works to provide a sustainable, safe and nutritious food supply as well as protect and preserve the landscape where that food is produced,” said Vilsack. “The garden will help explain to the public how small things they can do at home, at their business or on their farm or ranch, can promote sustainability, conserve the nation’s natural resources, and make America a leader in combating climate change.”

The People’s Garden is designed to provide a sampling of USDA’s efforts throughout the world as well as teach others how to nurture, maintain and protect a healthy landscape. If practiced, these garden concepts can be the general public’s, government’s, or business’ contribution to providing healthy food, air, and water for people and communities.

In response to the overwhelming public support and hundreds of letters the ‘People’s Garden’ concept has received, Secretary Vilsack challenged USDA facilities around the world to plant their own ‘People’s Gardens.’

Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan officially kicked off the Earth Day event at the Whitten Building with Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Brings Plenty who performed a traditional song and planted seeds at a ceremonial Three Sisters Garden to celebrate American Indians’ contribution to American agriculture. Merrigan led volunteers and USDA staffers in planting vegetables, herbs and flowers to complete the first phase of The People’s Garden. Eventually, the garden will include organic raised vegetable beds, organic transition plots, an organic urban container garden, an organic kitchen pollinator garden, rain gardens and a bat house.

A Three Sisters Garden is a traditional garden consisting of corn, beans and squash that has been planted by American Indians for centuries. Stories of the Three Sisters refers to a tradition of interplanting corn, beans and squash in the same mound. It is a sophisticated, sustainable planting system that has provided long term soil fertility and a healthy diet to generations of American Indians.

The People’s Garden is not confined to USDA headquarters in Washington, DC. Secretary Vilsack has challenged all USDA facilities-across the country and around the world-to create similar gardens and create healthier landscapes.

The garden at the Whitten Building was first dedicated on Feb. 12, 2009, to commemorate the 200th birthday of President Lincoln. USDA is planning to have the garden fully certified organic within three years. USDA’s vegetable garden will provide a great variety and amount of organic produce, which will be donated to a local food bank.

To expand the People’s Garden, USDA partnered with 75 representatives from other federal and state agencies, universities, non-governmental and non-profit organizations to redesign an innovative and sustainable landscape for USDA’s headquarters. This landscape will demonstrate environmentally responsible practices and will educates and engages the public through accessible exhibits.

Study Shows 29,000 Cooperatives Employ More Than 2 Million

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA has helped produce a comprehensive new study and database assessing the national economic impact of cooperatives. The study, “Research on the Economic Impact of Cooperatives,” is the result of extensive research that began in 2006.

It shows that more than 29,000 American cooperatives generate revenues of more than $654 billion and employ more than 2 million workers.

“Because of the hard work that USDA and its partners did, the nation now has a more definitive view of the role and economic strength of cooperatives in our economy,” Vilsack said. “Historically, cooperatives have always been extremely important to rural America, serving as economic engines and innovators. This study shows how significant their impact is nationwide.”

USDA’s Rural Development received a $1.5 million Congressional appropriation to develop the project in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the National Cooperative Business Association and other private-sector associations. The study is the first of what is expected to be a series of reports, analyses and web-based resources stemming from this multi-year effort. Here are some of the key findings of the study:

Number of Cooperatives: 29,284
Total Revenue: More than $654 billion
Income: $133 billion
Wages: $75 billion
Number of Employees: More than 2 million The data and findings from the study are at: http://reic.uwcc.wisc.edu. A cooperative is a business mutually owned and democratically controlled by members who benefit from its products and services. Cooperatives are formed to meet the specific objectives of members, and are structured to adapt to members’ changing needs.

This study was led by USDA Rural Development’s Cooperative Services Program. Its mission is to promote understanding and use of the cooperative form of business as a viable way to market and distribute agricultural products. USDA Rural Development’s mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for rural residents.

For more information about rural programs, including Business and Cooperative Programs, contact a local USDA Rural Development office or click here.