WASHINGTON, July 14, 2010 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today launched a new feature on the 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' website to highlight local and regional food systems and the multitude of connections being made between farmers and consumers. The new online resource advances a national conversation about food and agriculture and highlights the importance of local and regional food systems – one of the fastest growing segments of agriculture – to American
agriculture, the economy, and rural communities.
"By developing our local and regional food systems, we can spur job growth in our rural communities and ultimately strengthen American agriculture," said Secretary Vilsack. "This showcase will serve as a hub of ideas, local success stories, and USDA resources that showcase and strengthen the link between local production and local consumption that benefits producers of all sizes."
The 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' Ideas and Stories webpage - http://kyf.blogs.usda.gov – will provide real-world examples of the outpouring of dedication, entrepreneurship and support for agriculture that are taking place every day across the country. The website also serves as a clearinghouse for USDA resources aimed at linking local producers with consumers and
promoting a national conversation about food and agriculture.
USDA's "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" initiative seeks to create new economic opportunities, to promote local and regional food systems that help keep wealth in rural communities, and to encourage a national conversation about what we eat and where it comes from in order to benefit producers of all sizes.
