Note: This is the fourth in a series of four weekly articles from Congressman Lucas on specific areas of the new farm bill, which was signed into law May 13.
 May 19 - Wheat and the Commodity Title
 May 26 - Conservation Title Gets Proper Funding
 June 2 - Critical Changes to the Peanut Program
 June 9 - Rural Development Title Invests in Countryside 

Over the last fifteen years, the most significant technological development has been the development of the internet. But many rural areas have been left off the information superhighway because of a lack of technology infrastructure.  The farm bill includes $100 million to provide loans and loan guarantees to allow rural customers to receive high-speed, high-quality broadband services. 

Rural communities are constantly looking for economic development opportunities, while at the same time producers are interested in adding value to their commodities.  This farm bill addresses these issues by expanding the value-added market development grants and establishing resource centers to assist producers in value-added endeavors.  These grants will enable producers to capture more of the value of their commodities and hopefully bring additional jobs to rural communities.   
 
The farm bill increases value-added funding from a total of $15 million to $40 million per year 
through 2007.  It also helps get more producers involved in value-added programs by broadening the eligibility standards so that agriculture groups and producer-owned business ventures can compete for value-added grants too. 

There is currently a large demand for water and waste disposal loans and grants used to provide a safe and adequate supply of drinking water to rural residents in small towns.  The bill provides $360 million to fund the backlog for these loans and grants. 

Another major problem facing rural areas is the lack of money being invested in rural businesses.  The farm bill creates the Rural Business Investment Program, designed to promote economic development and create job opportunities in rural areas.  In this program, banks, farm credit systems, venture capitalists and others wishing to invest in rural American may apply to become a rural business investment company.

Working together to develop and implement an economic development plan is very challenging.  The farm bill creates the Rural Strategic Investment Program to help coordinate rural development planning in a large area and allow communities to develop long term goals.  By giving numerous counties the ability to plan and work together, we hope that their chances to qualify for private and public rural development monies will be greatly enhanced.

It’s always important to ensure that emergency responders have adequate resources, but when those emergency personnel are responsible for vast rural areas, that funding is even more important.  The new farm bill provides $50 million in grants to train rural firefighters and emergency personnel and improve training facilities. 

Farming families and rural communities play a central role in Oklahoma.  But we will have to work together to ensure that we can pass on that way of life to future generations.

For more information on the 2002 farm bill, go to my website at www.house.gov/lucas and click on the link “2002 Farm Bill.”