(Continued from page 8)

home. The latest agricultural trade forecast released this week continues an astonishing trend for American farm exports that began in 2009. Since that year, we've seen U.S. agricultural exports climb more than 50 percent in value - and agricultural exports continue to support more than a million jobs.
• All told, one in 12 U.S. jobs today are supported by American agriculture.
• Meanwhile, renewable energy continues to take hold across our nation. Today, renewable energy efforts support more than one million American jobs. More than 400,000 of these jobs are in the biofuels industry, which is based in rural America and holds great potential to create even more opportunity.
• Outdoor recreation brought more than $145 billion in economic benefits to the U.S. last year and supported hundreds of thousands of jobs. Visitors to America's National Forests alone support more than 200,000 jobs annually in nearby communities.
• At USDA, we will also continue our record efforts to support rural communities and businesses in creating jobs. For example, since 2009, USDA has made nearly 60,000 loans and grants to help rural businesses grow. The economic benefits from these efforts have saved or created an estimated 300,000 jobs. Meanwhile, by helping nearly 600,000 American families buy or refinance a home since 2009, USDA has generated economic benefits that support an estimated 250,000 jobs. We are always working to do more.
• Rural America does so much for all of us, every day. Our small towns and rural communities continue to drive America's economy forward, supporting industries that are responsible for a high proportion of U.S. jobs. I know that in the months to come, we can continue supporting good jobs for Americans while further strengthening the rural economy.