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Monday, May 31, 2010

Obama administration releases more details of National Rural Summit, to be held Thursday

Earlier this month we reported the Obama administration had finally followed through on a campaign promise to host a National Rural Summit. Now the administration has released additional details about the event, to be held at Jefferson College about 45 minutes south of St. Louis on Thursday. "Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, and the full [U.S. Department of Agriculture] sub-cabinet will be there to continue the conversation about ways to rebuild and revitalize rural America with agricultural leaders, farmers, ranchers and community leaders who attend the day-long event," Southwest Farm Press reports.

The morning session will be "'A Dialogue on Rural America,' with panelists that include: Jefferson Keel, president of the National Congress of American Indians; James Young, mayor of Philadelphia, Miss.; Darrin Ihnen, president of the National Corn Growers Association; Steve Flick, president of Show Me Energy; John Reading, past president of the National Association of Conservation Districts; and Aneesh Chopra, chief technology officer and assistant to President Obama." The afternoon events will feature breakout sessions on building critical infrastructure for a 21st Century rural economy, expanding opportunities for rural businesses, renewable energy and biofuels, farm competiveness and productivity, forest restoration, rural recreation and private land conservation and regional food systems and nutrition. (Read more)

The selection of Missouri as the location, and the presence of at least one Missourian on the main panel, should be no surprise. Missouri is one of the best bellwether states in presidential elections. More information about the summit is available at http://www.usda.gov/ruralsummit.

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