WASHINGTON, July 10, 2013– Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) awarded fiscal year 2013 funding to more than 70 U.S. agricultural organizations to help expand commercial export markets for their goods. USDA remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant budget uncertainty. Today's announcement is one part of the Department's efforts to strengthen the rural economy.

Under the Market Access Program (MAP), FAS will provide $172.7 million to 70 nonprofit organizations and cooperatives. MAP participants contribute an average 171-percent match for generic marketing and promotion activities and a dollar-for-dollar match for promotion of branded products by small businesses and cooperatives. Under the Foreign Market Development Program (FMD), FAS will allocate $25.4 million to 26 trade organizations that represent U.S. agricultural producers. The organizations, which contribute an average 183-percent cost share, will conduct activities that help maintain or increase demand for U.S. agricultural commodities overseas.

"Through MAP, FMD and other market development programs, USDA helps U.S. agricultural organizations, representing thousands of producers and businesses, open and expand international markets for U.S. agricultural exports," said Vilsack. "Ultimately, these efforts are helping achieve President Obama's National Export Initiative goal of doubling all U.S. exports by the end of 2014."

USDA's international market development programs have had a significant and positive impact on U.S. agricultural exports. An independent study released in 2010 found that for every $1 expended by government and industry on market development, U.S. food and agricultural exports increase by $35. The past four years represent the strongest period for U.S. agricultural exports in the history of the United States. Farm exports in fiscal year 2012 reached $135.8 billion and supported 1 million jobs here at home. Exports of U.S. farm goods in fiscal year 2013 are projected to total $139.5 billion, which would set a new record. Agricultural exports support more than one million jobs and drive economic opportunity in rural America.

USDA has made a concerted effort to deliver results for the American people, even as USDA implements sequestration - the across-the-board budget reductions mandated under terms of the Budget Control Act. For example, more than $10 million was cut from this year's allocations due to sequestration. USDA has also already undertaken historic efforts since 2009 to save more than $828 million in taxpayer funds through targeted, common-sense budget reductions. These reductions have put USDA in a better position to carry out its mission, while implementing sequester budget reductions in a fair manner that causes as little disruption as possible.

A complete list of the agricultural organizations and funding levels can be found here:

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The Iowa Master Gardener program is once again offering a series of summer garden webinars to be hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Because weather patterns over the past couple of years have moved rapidly from drought to flood, the theme of the 2013 series is "Moisture Extremes in the Landscape."

"Iowa Gardeners are dealing with a variety of extreme conditions this summer," said Denny Schrock, state Master Gardener coordinator. "There are areas of the state that have gone from drought and abnormally dry conditions to flooding, places that have received twice the normal precipitation amount, and areas that have received only a fraction of the normal amount of rain."

The Iowa DNR Water Summary Update shows the extremes - places where abnormally dry conditions are overlaid by much above normal stream flow, and sections of the state where flooding and below normal amounts of precipitation overlap. Schrock said plant selection and landscaping decisions can help gardeners manage the weather extremes and the summer webinar series will cover those topics.

Summer webinar dates, topics and presenters

• Tuesday, July 23 - "Landscape Plants for Moisture Extremes" - Richard Jauron, horticulture specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach; "Waterwise Landscaping" - Denny Schrock, Iowa Master Gardener coordinator, Iowa State University

• Tuesday, Aug. 13 - "Diagnosing Drought Damage, Flood Damage and Other Abiotic Stress Injury on Landscape Trees and Shrubs" - Jeff Iles, horticulture department chair at Iowa State University

• Tuesday, Sept. 3 - "Efficient Home Landscape Irrigation" - Mike Baron, irrigation and water management specialist, The Toro Company

The summer webinar series, in its fourth year, is offered by the Iowa Master Gardener program in response to requests for more Iowa gardening educational opportunities. The sessions are open to all interested gardeners; participants are not required to have completed Master Gardener training to attend.

Sessions will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Scott County Extension office in Bettendorf, Iowa.  Cost for each session is $5.00.  Contact the Scott County Extension office at 563-359-7577 to register.

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Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02) announced today that he has introduced the Senate farm bill in the House of Representatives.  He was joined by Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) and Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) as original cosponsors.  Last week, the House failed to pass a farm bill to go to a conference committee with the Senate.  On June 10th, the Senate passed a long-term, five year farm bill on a strong bipartisan basis.  The legislation introduced today (HR 2498) has the exact text as the Senate bill, which was supported by both Iowa Senators Grassley and Harkin.  Loebsack, Braley and Bustos supported the House legislation last week to move the bill forward.  The entire bipartisan Iowa delegation voted for the bill.

"After voting down the farm bill last week, the House must act quickly to move the farm bill process forward. The Senate voted in a strong bipartisan fashion to move the Farm Bill forward and it is time House leaders bring up this legislation and allow a vote on the bill," said Congressman Dave Loebsack. "I know the Farm Bill is critical for Iowa's farmers, rural communities and economy.  While the Senate legislation is not perfect, Congress must provide our farmers and rural communities some certainty.  Partisan bickering will only further delay enactment of a long-term Farm Bill."

"It's time for the House to do its job and pass a long-term extension of the Farm Bill. It's a necessity for rural America. Farmers and agricultural producers need the Farm Bill so they can have the assurance they need to continue to invest in the future, create jobs, and grow the economy," Congressman Bruce Braley said. "The Senate has passed a bipartisan Farm Bill and it's time the House does the same."

"Our entire region of Illinois has been thirsting for the certainty and predictability of a bipartisan, five-year Farm Bill," said Congresswoman Cheri Bustos.  "Our economy needs a Farm Bill, I fought to move this process forward, and partisanship sadly stood in the way of a House version.  We owe it to the American people to get this done, so I'm calling House leadership to swiftly schedule a vote on this bipartisan Senate-passed Farm Bill.  It may not be perfect, but Senate Democrats and Republicans were able to come together to get a bill passed, and the House should do the same."

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement after the House voted down the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (HR 1947), the farm bill.

"The inability of the House to come together and move a farm bill forward is inexcusable. I have been calling for a farm bill for over a year now.  Failure to enact a farm bill means jobs in our rural communities are at risk and cuts to rural and farm initiatives critical to Iowa's economy are likely. I stood with the entire Iowa delegation to advance this critical legislation for farmers, Iowa's economy, and families.  The Senate was able to find commonsense compromise.  The House needs to do the same.

"I am deeply concerned with the extreme cuts to anti-hunger initiatives, known as SNAP, that were contained in the bill.  Our economy is still struggling to recover and many families rely on this program to put food on the table and ensure their children do not go to school hungry.  I was the only member from Iowa to cosponsor an amendment to restore these cuts and fought to have it included in the bill. Today's vote shows that restoration of SNAP funding is critical to a farm bill being enacted.

"I am also concerned that this bill would have gutted rural energy measures that are critical to Iowa jobs and energy independence.  There were over 1,600 rural energy projects initiated in Iowa between 2003 and 2012, many stemming from farm bill energy programs. These investments are vitally important to job creation and Iowa's economy.  I led the fight to ensure farmers and rural businesses have continued access to an important energy and economic development tool with my amendment that was added to the bill to strengthen the REAP program.

"I will continue to fight to get a farm bill signed into law that supports families, farmers and our rural economy."