USDA's Tom Vilsack: Federal Help For High Point Will Spur Growth, Give Hope

The City of High Point is getting federal help in setting up a farmers market.

This week, the USDA announced the community would participate in its “Local Foods, Local Places” initiative. The project –  a collaboration between six federal agencies – helps cities create food hubs in hopes of sparking economic growth.

The program's aim is to provide technical assistance to High Point as it develops a farmers market and other wellness programs for its new central library plaza.

High Point is one of 27 communities across the country selected to be a part of the federal program.

WFDD's Sean Bueter spoke with U.S. Sec. of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to hear more about how programs like this can build community, reduce hunger, and more.

Interview Highlights

On the potential impact of farmers markets on places like High Point:

“Once this gets started, it really grows, and it encourages economic revitalization of areas, of neighborhoods, of communities that have been suffering for a while. It gives people a sense of hope.”

On how the USDA can help fight food insecurity at a time when many states are moving to scale back or restrict SNAP (food stamp) benefits. Vilsack says the department is working with states to make sure they're doing everything they can to get people working again, but he says the USDA is operating several food projects to help low-income residents:

“We're working very hard on helping food banks with some of our emergency food purchases. We obviously work with schools to provide school meal programs and to expand access to breakfast and snacks. We're working with a summer feeding program; we've seen that increase by 26 million meals over the course of the last seven years…”

On working to support smaller farming operations and the wide variety of programs the USDA oversees:

“Sometimes it amazes me how much we do and how little people know about what we do. We're a much broader department than people realize. It's not just production agriculture [large farms] – that's very important to us – but it's not the only thing we do.”

You can hear Sean Bueter's extended interview with Sec. Tom Vilsack by clicking the "Play" button above.