Investing in Rural America town hall tackles economy renewal and food insecurities

Eastern North Carolina — An Investing in Rural America Town Hall was held today, Feb. 21 in Tarboro to discuss ways to rebuild the economy and create new opportunities for families in rural communities.

The town hall program focused on many important efforts today. Among those efforts include food insecurities and supporting small businesses and family farmers.

U.S. Congressman Don Davis says, “I grew up in Greene County North Carolina. I came from humble beginnings. My grandmother raised me.”

Congressman Don Davis reflects on his life growing up in a rural community, where he faced food insecurities.

U.S. Congressman Don Davis says, “I remember the day she would call me, she would be at the dinner table, and I would have something to eat, and she would look and say baby have you had enough, and sometimes every once in a while, I would look at my grandmother and say I’m still hungry. My grandmother would take food off her plate and give it to me.”

At Wednesday’s town hall, other members of Congress, including U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack talked about how important it was to not only help in the fight against food insecurities, but to also invest in small businesses in local farmers.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says, “As part of our invest in America effort, with specific emphasis on rural places and rural people because we want to make sure that folks in rural communities understand and appreciate that we are genuinely concerned about the quality of life and quality Opportunity.”

To help with the quality of life for Americans living in these smaller communities, Vilsack says key investments in improving water systems and high-speed Internet is at the forefront.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says, “Here in North Carolina, we are doing about 17.3-million-dollar investment in three separate investments. One is an investment, in which we’re expanding and providing resources to the harvest that’s going to go out and talk about the importance of high-speed Internet in communities that are fairly remote, not likely to have the kind of Fiver systems that many other communities have.”

Congressman Davis says the farm bill along with these key investments are all essential to building up the next generation of leaders in agriculture.

U.S. Congressman Don Davis says, "When we talk in particular about young people, I believe that we have to continue to show young people that they can make it in agriculture. We need young people. We need to energize them as we have never seen before."