Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - New York Farm Advocates Hit Big Sky Country Touting Hillary Clinton's Rural Record

Rural Development Team to Discuss Clinton's Effective Solutions to Issues Facing Rural Montanans

Billings, MT - Urging Montanans to vote for the presidential candidate who can best expand opportunities for rural Americans, a rural development team set out across Montana on Monday to promote the success of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) rural and agricultural initiatives in New York State.

The travelers will reach out to local farmers and producers and make brief press stops to discuss Clinton's positive impact on New York agriculture.

Sam Teresi, the mayor of Jamestown, NY, Sam Cassella, a New York beef/hay farmer, and Jay Biba, Senator Clinton's Central NY Regional Director, will spend Monday and Tuesday touring Montana, making stops in Billings, Hysham, Forsyth, Miles City, Glendive, Sidney, Circle, Jordan, Winnett, and Roundup.

Sam Teresi has been the mayor of Jamestown, NY since 2000. Formerly the Director of Development, Teresi has worked to promote rural development in the city of Jamestown.

"Senator Clinton has worked tirelessly to help us in the rural Appalachian region," said Sam Teresi, mayor of Jamestown, a city in the Southern Tier of western New York. "Through her continued efforts as a Senator, she promoted better access to broadband, small business employment, rural health care, programs to expand computer and software, and literacy programs in small rural communities. Her new ideas have had a real impact on our communities."

Sam Cassella is a beef/hay farmer in Upstate New York's Finger Lakes region. He is active on the New York State Farm Bureau and in Finger Lakes conservation efforts. He lives on his family's homestead in Canandaigua, NY and is a former Canandaigua Town Supervisor.

"Senator Clinton's support has allowed farmers like me to grow, add jobs and remain at the forefront of a diversifying agriculture system," said Cassella. "The efforts of Senator Clinton and her staff have enabled farmers like me to become national pioneers in a large industry segment."

The travelers are part of a larger "Travelers for Hillary" group made up of more than 100 farmers, wine growers, rural and economic developers from upstate New York. The group has already toured Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina and Pennsylvania on behalf of Clinton.

Hillary Clinton has an understanding of rural areas by having:

A passion for agriculture and by seeing a strong progressive rural economy as critical to a healthy national economy.

A vision that so many of America's challenges today, from global warming to unsafe food imports, and energy independence, can be addressed through rural America.

Hillary Clinton has lead on rural issues in the Senate, such as:

Rural Economic Development - The Rural RISE ACT (S. 1034) - this is a massive rural economic development package aimed at streamlining federal funding, enhancing the funding used and integrating multiple rural resources in building new opportunities for rural economic development. Includes various other incentives for professionals to work and live in rural areas.

Rural Broadband Expansion - The Rural Broadband Initiative Act (S. 1032) - expanded policies to get broadband to all corners of our country. It stress the need for greater focus, accountability and research funding towards getting the internet to everyone, because Hillary believes that is a key to expanding opportunities and allowing more people to remain in rural areas.

Expanding Healthy Foods, While Expanding Markets - Her FOOD for a Healthy America Act (S. 1432) - A number of nutrition and healthy food federal program enhancements to expand the marketing of healthy food (specialty crops specifically). This includes national expansion of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program (in schools), Community Food Projects, and a new program called the Healthy Food Enterprise Development program to tackle various hurdles for farmers in marketing their products.

Advocating and pushing for mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)

Issues where the Bush Administration have lacked in helping family farms, whether it involves weather related disaster relief or the closing of local USDA offices. (S. 1821)

Hillary Clinton has a "Vision for Rural America" that includes:

Creating fair and competitive markets for ALL farmers

Expanding markets of farmers to reach underserved areas of our country with healthy foods and giving farmers the chance to get a good price from the market

Ensuring that trade agreements don't leave our hardest workers behind

Expanding our renewable energy industry as a job creator and reducing foreign energy dependence

Expanding economic opportunities for rural areas through creative solutions

Getting broadband to every corner of this country creating ways for small businesses, telemedicine and distance learning to enhance rural life

Tackling so many of the recruitment, access and cost issues relating to health care and education in this country, by making sure we target rural areas

The difference with Hillary Clinton is that she's done so much of this for upstate/rural New York. She has:

Created, promoted and expanded markets for farmers of all forms

Established innovative ways to address needs for new job and economic opportunities

Ensured that rural New York had a Senator that truly listened and acted on their behalf