In a Feb. 9 post to the USDA Blog, Doug O’Brien, Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development, explained the connection between federal programs and job creation in rural areas. His post begins:
"In his State of the Union Address, the President announced a plan for building a strong, successful and lasting economy. He spoke in particular about the need to source jobs domestically in order to bring employment back to the United States and the need for a strong manufacturing base to build our economy upon. Here at the USDA, we are doing our part by supporting rural businesses, building modern, reliable community infrastructure, and working with farmers and ranchers to export products grown in America."