109 - An Initiative to Revive Rural America with Tennessee Department of Agriculture

If you work in the Business of Agriculture, you understand the reality of what’s happening in rural America. Many small towns that once supported a grain elevator, a farm store, an implement dealership, and several other businesses have been shuttered. With consolidation came a degradation of life in many parts of rural America. Some rural communities haven’t suffered from consolidation — they never even experienced a boom. Tom Womack is Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. He sits down with me to discuss what his state is doing to revive rural Tennessee. Through the Ag Enhancement Program, money is being invested to create jobs in economically distressed areas. On the list of action items are broadband and technology for “flyover country.” If you live out here, you get it. We all benefit by a thriving rural economy, which means we’re all rooting for more rural initiative.