Experts Analyze Rural Youth Migration
69 views · Published 30 November 2018 · 2:52 · Indexed 28 September 2026
Channel: RFD-TV · 2018 · Entertainment
November 20 2018 Washington As the final stages of farm bill negotiations continue, farmers and investors push for a strong rural development title to lead the way to rural prosperity. RFD-TV ’s Sarah Mock reports. Hurricanes… droughts… fires… a devastating year for rural communities across the country comes to a close. Young farmers say more most be done to protect the places they call home. “People are paying attention to ways they can build resiliency in their communities. Not just through insurance, also through community diversification and dealing with climate change is definitely something I hear a lot of farmers in Georgia talking about.” Investing in infrastructure and small businesses is one important way to build that resiliency, but with a dramatic decline in community banks over the past decade, even getting the funds to purchase or operate existing farms can be difficult. “Community banks make about 77% of the agricultural loans that are made in the US. About 50% of the small business loans in the US. The further a business moves away from traditional sources of capital and credit the more they rely on often high cost, even predatory forms of capital and credit. And so in order for these communities to thrive, we need capital to flow in rural communities.” With only tiny amounts of private money flowing to rural places, communities look to local and state governments for leadership. But rural lawmakers say they simply don’t have the resources. “Most of my dollars and resources at the county level go to dealing with the opioid crisis. In fact, 21% of the budget that I have, goes to pay our jail bill. We pay more money in our jail bill in a month than we pay into economic development and our health department for an entire year.” Farmers like Asherman are looking more and more to usda’s rural development programs, which provide low cost financing not only for her farm, but for wider community projects as well. “If we were a bank, which in a sense we were, we would be one of the largest banks in the country with $212 billion portfolio and over a million loans.” Two rural development programs that provide technical assistance and startup capital to farmers and other rural businesses expired september 30th. the previously announced house bill did not include further funding for these programs, whereas the senate bill provided some. a compromise bill could be announced as soon as this week. For RFD-TV, I’m Sarah Mock in Washington. The president also cited his hopes for the farm bill, saying during a visit to california over the weekend that the farm bill would include funds for wildfire prevention. though farm bill conferees have not yet revealed whether they have reached an agreement on the farm bill’s forestry provisions. Julia Asherman, Rag And Frass Farm Greg Puckett, Mercer County Commissioner, Wv Darrin Williams, Southern Bancorp Ceo Tom Vilsack, Former Secretary Of Agriculture Sarah Mock Washington Bureau Chief, RFD-TV @Sarah_K_Mock
