ANKENY, Iowa — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton emphasized in a major rural policy speech here today that she paid attention to rural issues when she was a senator from New York, but the view of rural America that she articulated and the proposals she made are very close to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s experience as secretary and the policies he has emphasized since he joined the Obama administration in 2009.

“This is not a new cause for me,” Clinton said, noting that New York is a major farm state, principally dairy, fruits and vegetables.

Clinton informed her audience that when she made agriculture and rural development a top priority in the Senate, her colleagues were surprised and some from the Midwest made fun of her.

She recalled that when she brought a picture of a cow to the Senate floor for a speech, an unnamed Midwestern senator said, “OK. So you’ve got one cow.”

But Clinton said she made note of the disconnect between upstate New York and downstate New York City because there were entrepreneurs upstate who needed capital and investors on Wall Street who knew nothing about them.

She also pointed out that she had introduced New York City chefs to upstate food and wine producers and started a “Farm to Fork” movement.

In the “Plan for a Vibrant Rural America” document, Clinton said “America’s rural communities lie at the heart of what makes this country great,” a statement very similar to the way Vilsack describes rural America in speech after speech,

“The affordability of our food, the independence and sophistication of our energy supply, and the strength of our small communities all depend on a vibrant rural America,” the document said. “Despite their critical role in our economy, too many rural communities are not sharing in the nation’s economic gains.”

“We must do more to ensure the vitality of our rural areas — not only because America’s 46 million rural residents make up nearly 15 percent of our population, but also because rural America provides the foundation for the entire country’s economic success.”

Noting that her event was at a community college rather than a farm, Clinton said, said, “I want to emphasize the changing face of rural Iowa.”

Farmers today are as attuned to world markets as Wall Street traders, she noted, and rural students are “full of energy, ideas, excitement.”

On immigration reform and rural economy

Clinton also noted that the new face of rural America includes immigrant labor, and she denounced Republican calls to deport immigrants without documents.

“The fact is, American agriculture is heavily dependent on immigrant labor, from the orchards of California to the processing plants of Iowa to the groves of Florida,” she said.

“The Des Moines Register recently noted that even though producers have raised pay, it’s getting harder to find enough workers to harvest their crops,” she said.

“We’re talking about billions of dollars in income lost because of farm worker shortages. Comprehensive immigration reform would help address this problem and give a needed boost to rural communities. And yet many Republicans still say they want to deport millions of hard-working people — breaking up families, disrupting communities, and harming our economy.”

Clinton spoke a day after the Agriculture Department forecast a deep decline in farm income and she acknowledged the continued economic challenges and deteriorating conditions.

In her speech Clinton connected the lower incomes in rural America with things that rural Americans have to buy in the larger economy. Median household income in rural areas is still thousands of dollars less than in urban communities, she said.

“Farmland values, agricultural exports, commodity prices have all declined and recently, they’ve declined even as the cost of everything else — like prescription drugs and going to college — keeps rising.”

In the policy document, Clinton said, “Unemployment and poverty are too high, commodity prices have recently declined, and necessary components to economic security — including accessible health care and affordable education — are unavailable in too many rural communities.”

Vilsack emphasizes the RFS and corn-based ethanol more than Clinton does, but he — and probably Matt Paul, Vilsack’s former communications director who is Clinton’s Iowa campaign director — clearly influenced many of the other specific policy proposals in the document.

Other rural policy statements

In her speech and rural document, Clinton said that in addition to strengthening the RFS she would:

• Support other renewable fuels programs such as the renewable chemical and biobased product manufacturing assistance program, which Vilsack has championed as helpful to the renewable fuels industry, even if EPA cuts the volumetric requirements.
• Launch a Clean Energy Challenge to help states, cities and rural communities resources to lead on clean energy. This includes expanding the Rural Utilities Service and other “successful” USDA energy programs.
• Expand access to equity capital for rural businesses by increasing the number of Rural Business Investment Companies (RBICs), a program Vilsack has promoted that links investors with rural businesses. “RBICs are approved through the Farm Credit Administration, funded by Farm Credit banks and directly link entrepreneurs to capital,” Clinton said.
• Simplify regulations for community banks “while making sure community banks are never used as a Trojan horse to undermine Dodd-Frank reforms for the largest Wall Street banks.”
• Create a national infrastructure bank and invest to improve transportation, water and broadband infrastructure to meet industry demands. Clinton repeatedly emphasized the importance of bringing high-speed internet service to rural America. Vilsack has emphasized this, although the Obama administration’s success in achieving its goals is uncertain.
• Streamline, expand and make permanent the New Markets Tax Credit, which was amended in 2006 to include rural America. Clinton noted that the tax credits were started during the administration of President Bill Clinton, her husband.
• Fully fund the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, a USDA conservation program that congressional appropriators have continually cut.
• Support the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program, which Vilsack has emphasized to keep up the population in rural America.
• Build a strong local and regional food system by doubling funding for the Farmers Market Promotion Program and the Local Food Promotion Program to expand food hubs, farmers markets, food stamp recipients’ access to fresh food, and to encourage direct sales to local schools, hospitals, retailers and wholesalers. This has been the Obama administration’s signature agricultural development program, particularly in the first term when Kathleen Merrigan was deputy secretary. Clinton also noted that her “focus” on this issue began when she was a senator.
• Direct federal resources like disaster assistance and crop insurance “to farmers and ranchers who need it the most — not those who have the biggest businesses or the best connections. We will change the formula ... In too many ways, the deck is still stacked against small farms.”
• Support beginning and small farmers. “We have to stand with our farmers, give them the tools and support they need to boost both production and profits,” Clinton said. “Whether they’re taking over a long-time family operation or whether they’re new to the industry. In too many ways, the deck is still stacked against small farms. As president, I’ll make sure that federal resources like disaster assistance and crop insurance go to farmers and ranchers who need it the most — not those who have the biggest businesses or the best connections. We will change the formula.”
• Recognize the importance of trade to agriculture, although she said the country needs to “be smart about trade. Done right trade can produce economy growth but we have seen too many communities hurt by outsourcing.” Clinton said trade should create jobs, raise wages and increase national security.
  

In the conclusion of her speech, Clinton broadened her appeal.

“In small towns and big cities; young, old, black, white, Latino; our country should work for you and every American … for the struggling, the striving, and the successful … for the farmer who’s up before dawn and never quits … for the migrant worker who labors in the shadow of deportation … for the engineer building a wind turbine to power our future … for the young person who wants to stay in town and keep the family business going,” she said.

“For everyone who’s ever been knocked down, but refused to be knocked out. That’s the America that we are going to build together, and it will include rural America.”