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search and rural development efforts - and it will provide needed support and certainty for folks in rural America.
• USDA's credit programs provide a very good example of the positive impact a comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would have for our nation.
• Through programs authorized under the current Farm Bill, USDA provides access to credit that helps farmers to buy or expand an operation, helps businesses to grow and hire more, helps rural families looking for a good place to live and helps build up rural communities.
• Since 2009, USDA has provided more than 134,000 farm loans to help farmers and ranchers grow or expand an operation - a record effort during a tough time for many producers to get a loan.
• We've provided record credit to help more than 620,000 rural families buy or refinance a home. Credit programs have helped provide assistance for nearly 60,000 rural businesses, from main street shops to cutting-edge new biorefineries. And these programs have helped USDA implement nearly 8,000 critical projects to improve quality of life in rural communities.
• We're always looking to do more. This week, for example, I announced a new effort under USDA's farm loan program to provide new "microloans" to our producers. The program makes the lending process easier for those who need a small loan of up to $35,000. This effort promises new opportunity for everyone from a small-scale grower selling to local markets, to a returned veteran who's looking to start a new career on the farm.
• These credit programs don't just benefit the recipients - they strengthen rural

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