USDA Highlights 2023 Successes in Serving Farmers, Families and Communities
December 21, 2023
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is marking the end of 2023 by highlighting on-the-ground projects and partnerships that are building economic prosperity for farmers, families, and communities nationwide. Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – and its record investments in rural America – USDA has been able to help tens of thousands of farmers continue their operations and increase their revenue, connected rural communities to internet access, advanced efforts to mitigate climate change, made investments that give small businesses a leg up, lowered energy costs and costs for consumers, and more.
“For too long, America’s agricultural policies have encouraged farmers to get big or get out, and this in turn has weakened the communities whose local economies are tied to small and mid-sized farms. We’re starting to see the impact of a new way of approaching policies and programs that are better designed for the real needs of rural communities—and the results are promising,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Over the course of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has pushed forward with efforts to create revenue-expanding new markets for farmers, help them find opportunity while simultaneously addressing climate change, and build stronger infrastructure that leads to more prosperous farms and communities. In 2023, we saw these changes begin to take hold in tangible ways, which puts extra momentum behind the work we’ll carry out in 2024.”