Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, questioned U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack during a full Committee hearing entitled, “To Review the State of the Rural Economy with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.” During the hearing, Rep. Kuster asked Sec. Vilsack about the USDA’s plans to address the broad need for business technical assistance for farm and food businesses across the nation as well as plans to decarbonize the agriculture sector through farm-renewable energy use. 

“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique set of challenges for rural hospitals, economies, and communities across the nation, including farmers and food providers in New Hampshire,” said Rep. Kuster. “While provisions in the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package have provided crucial relief and hope for the future, there is more work to be done. We cannot allow small and mid-sized farms like those we have in New Hampshire to be left behind. I’m proud to lead calls in Congress and on the Agriculture Committee to provide additional relief funding for one-on-one business technical assistance to ensure the long-term success of farms and food businesses in the Granite State and across the country.”

“In addition to supporting the viability of our local farms, it is also essential that we support their efforts to leave our planet better than we found it,” Rep. Kuster continued. “From green farming initiatives to carbon capture technology, there is a promising future for clean energy in the agriculture industry. I thank Secretary Vilsack for joining us today and I look forward to working with the USDA to ensure our nation’s farms have the tools they need to thrive, expand on-farm renewable energy use, and support our local Granite State agriculture industry.”

Last year, Rep. Kuster joined 49 colleagues in sending a letter to Sec. Vilsack calling for USDA to dedicate $300 million in relief funding for one-on-one business technical assistance for farms and food businesses. Business technical assistance includes customized coaching for business and marketing planning, financial and labor management, and succession planning — skills essential to the success of small and mid-sized farms and their long-term viability.

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