On the campaign trail, Barack Obama addressed one of the most pressing issues facing small agricultural communities: keeping young people in rural areas.
 
The problem was best summed up by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in his confirmation hearing.
 
"Small towns and rural communities continue to lose people and jobs while critical infrastructure crumbles," he said on Jan. 14, 2009. "These towns and communities find it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the ever-changing national and global economy."
 
Keeping young workers in rural areas could help farming communities to thrive, the administration argues. That means supporting businesses, culture and infrastructure necessary to keep and attract younger people to small towns.
 
So, how has Obama worked to reverse the brain drain?
 
Arguably, the most visible effort is a series of town hall-like meetings Obama announced on June 30. So far, Vilsack has held at least a dozen meetings on the administration's Rural Tour meant to "engage in a more robust dialogue with folks living in rural America," according to the Web site the administration has launched to publicize the effort. "Today, our communities, big and small, are struggling. And the challenges ahead are even greater."
 
Meanwhile, a little more than half of the Agriculture Department's share of the stimulus funding -- about $28 billion -- is dedicated to rural development projects. For instance, in October, Vilsack announced $30 million in stimulus funding for 36 community facilities projects, many of which are health care facilities. That was in addition to $335 million that the Agriculture Department had already announced for such projects.
 
"President Obama and USDA are committed to revitalizing rural communities and bringing quality facilities such as libraries, public buildings and community centers to small towns and cities that can benefit from new construction or upgrades to existing ones, " Vilsack said on July 8.
 
Other projects include funding for rural broadband, water recovery and home ownership programs.
 
Additionally, on Dec. 17 Vilsack asked his department's office of Rural Development and the Farm Service Agency to host a series of meetings intended to gather ideas about job creation in rural America. The request was the direct result of a job forum hosted by the White House in early December.
 
So, the Obama administration is clearly taking rural development and revitalization seriously. But this is a big promise and it's unclear whether the efforts will pay off. We'll be keeping tabs on this promise, but move it to In the Works for now.