Thank You President Obama--and USDA Rural Development

Today I was a guest at the USDA's Rural Development year-end press conference. The press conference focused on the powerful effect that NM's Rural Development programs had on New Mexicans this year. As Terry Brunner, Director, stated, "Much of the funding that was obligated in 2010 came from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Those funds, combined with our regular funding, increased economic opportunity and improved the quality of life throughout rural New Mexico, even in these different economic times."

I was invited to be one of the living, breathing examples of the increased economic opportunity that this funding has created. Now, I love to attend events like this. I love to talk about my business, I love to meet interesting people. But this event humbled me.

I sat at the table next to the governor of the Pueblo of Laguna, John Antonio, Sr., who told stories about the third world conditions his pueblo has been living with in terms of water and septic services--they've just received funding to upgrade their water system. (And before the conference started, he told me the amazing story of being one of 30 Native Americans who were flown to the site of the World Trade Towers, just after 9/11, to participate in a major ceremony there.)

Lt. Governor Mark Thompson from the Pueblo of Laguna thanked Rural Development for funding a community wellness center--that he hopes will some day lead to the closure of the Pueblo's new dialysis clinic.

A lovely couple got up and spoke about the home they were able to purchase with a special loan fund--they are one of 11,400 families that received this kind access to funds.

And there were fellow Value Added Producer Grant recipients, Lynn & Judy Payne, who run Payne's Nurseries here in Santa Fe, and Sunland Nursery in Las Cruces. They have a wonderful product they are currently marketing--fresh organic cooking herbs, live in small pots, and packaged to grab off the shelf and take right home.

Folks, all this is to say, right now there is a lot of press covering people who are shouting that the stimulus funds were a mistake--a career-killing one for some politicians, and that big government needs to be stopped. And/or they are saying this funding hasn't worked, hasn't helped. The few of us in that conference today were just a handful of the thousands in this state alone, through this one state agency, that have benefited in life-changing ways from this support. I am proud to be one of them.