OPINION: Best Days Lie Ahead for the Rural Economy

President Joe Biden recently used his first State of the Union address to talk about where our country has been and where we are going.

The president mentioned a lot we can be proud of and even more to look forward to, especially in rural America.

The country has faced deep challenges over the past year, and the people of rural America know this better than anyone. But rural communities are resilient, and as the success of rural America goes, so goes the rest of the country.

That’s why the progress we have made in rural New York over the past year is a good sign for everyone. By investing in water infrastructure and broadband, rural business opportunities and the American food supply chain, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is helping communities build a foundation for sustained economic growth.

I have been meeting with representatives from across the state, listening to their concerns and challenges, identifying program linkages, as well as how we may play a role as their partner going forward. USDA Rural Development’s programs can play a pivotal role in narrowing the digital divide, improving a community’s infrastructure through water and sewer programs, safety, and wellbeing by providing needed tools like first-responder equipment and vehicles, helping a rural family realize the dream of homeownership, or working with a rural small business with any number of our loan or grant programs.

Through the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program and the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program, we’re answering the president’s call to create more resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains. Promoting competition in the processing sector will lead to fairer prices for farmers, greater value for workers, and more affordable and healthier food produced closer to home for families.

These investments create jobs and economic opportunities in rural areas. They help grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out like the president talked about. And they contribute to a circular economy where the resources and wealth we build in rural New York stay right here in New York.

And they’re just the beginning. In the State of the Union, President Biden committed to build a national network of 500,000 electric-vehicle charging stations, begin to replace poisonous lead pipes — so every child — and every American — has clean water to drink at home and at school, provide affordable high-speed internet for every American — urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s plan for the economy is already producing historic wins, and there’s room for everyone to participate, no matter their zip code.

That’s why we’re optimistic that our best days lie ahead.

By giving everyone a fair shot and providing equitable access to federal resources, we can do our part to carry out the president’s economic vision. That means making more things here at home, strengthening our supply chains, and lowering costs for working families. It means giving people opportunities to make a good living without having to leave the communities they know and love.

For a lot of us, that means staying right here in rural New York.        

Brian Murray is the New York State director for USDA Rural Development.