Revitalizing Rural America

Tom Vilsack said the following about his tour of rural America. "What I saw was a silent crisis in rural America. Too many of our small towns are struggling. Although they are some of the hardest working folks I know, rural Americans earn, on average, $11,000 less than their urban counterparts each year. And they are more likely to live in poverty. More rural Americans are over the age of 65 and few have graduated college. More than half of America's rural counties are losing population and, with it, political representation."

These words were just part of his much longer speech published by the Huffington Post. The rest of his comments were decidedly and politically upbeat, filled with glowing federal promises to help an embattled rural population regain its place in America. More is available at www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-holt-gimenez/revitalize-rural-america_b_601438.html.

Reprinted from National Livestock Producers Association