As chair of the recently established White House Rural Council, I want to make sure you take a look at a new web page that went live on the White House Champions of Change website. It is focused on the meeting that was held at the White House on July 6, with President Obama, myself and 18 Rural Champions from across 14 states. The new site features blogs and short video clips from participants about the meeting. I hope that you’ll take a moment to check it out: http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions.
The President's Domestic Policy Adviser Melody Barnes attended the meeting as well and she posted a blog that includes more details about what was discussed at the meeting and next steps for the White House Rural Council.
Participating in the Champions meeting was an invaluable opportunity for me to hear firsthand from people who are making great things happen in their own rural communities to create jobs and promote economic growth. I know that many of the best ideas come directly from Americans outside of Washington, and my hope is that other folks throughout the country benefit from their ingenuity. Over the summer, Cabinet officials and USDA leaders will host similar meetings as part of the Rural Council with stakeholders, including agricultural organizations, small businesses, and state, local, and tribal governments that have innovative ideas for how we can grow rural economies.
To learn more about what people in rural communities are accomplishing with USDA assistance in rural communities throughout the country, read a few recent posts on the USDA blog.