USDA Under Secretary Edward Avalos Tours Escobar Farm

Edward Avalos, under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, spent two days in Rhode Island this past week to participate in the Rhode Island Agriculture Day program at the State House.

He also toured Rhode Island farms in a effort to “maximize support for New England agriculture,” giving local farmers an opportunity to interact directly with Avalos and speak with him about the 2012 Farm Bill and federal policies.

Ken Ayars, chief of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Agriculture, who accompanied Avalos on the tour says, “having an under secretary here in Rhode Island is extremely rare.”

“We have the 2012 Farm Bill coming up and it has always been hard to have the Farm Bill be sensitive to what goes on in New England,” and having under secretary Avalos here “gives us a chance to try and talk about that and to have influence over policy," Ayars said.

This is Avalos's first trip to Rhode Island and one of only a few previous stops in New England.

“He has learned a lot on this trip and especially on this tour today,” said Ayars.

Avalos is not unfamiliar with farming or its challenges, having grown up in a farming family in the Mesilla Valley of Southern New Mexico.

“For me, it is an honor to be out here,” says Avalos. “I can connect with a small farm like this because I grew up on a small family farm.”

“The Obama administration is completely committed to revitalizing rural America, which is so important to this country and I am a firm believer and feel strongly that agriculture, including a small dairy farm like this, is the backbone of this country," he said.

“Rural America needs small dairymen and small farms, and large dairymen and large farms to survive because, as long as they are healthy economically, the rural community is healthy economically.

“I only wish I could be here on the Fourth of July for the fireworks,” he added, referring to Escobar Highland Farm’s annual display.

In talking to Louis Escobar, owner of Escobar Highland Farm, along with wife Jane and grandson Jason, who represents the future of the farm, Avalos assured him, “We are very concerned about rural farming and it is very important to us that the dairy industry, and especially a small dairy like yourself stay strong.”

“What you contribute to the economy of your rural community is critical and we are looking to you guys to find ways to insure milk prices stay strong and reduce the cost of inputs.

“It is not an easy task, but we are looking for ways to do that.”

Escobar stressed to secretary Avalos the importance of farms across the country.

“We want to better be able to control the price of our milk and we all need to unify," said Escobar. “We are looking for less from government, but need your help to get this program together."

The Escobar Highland Farm has, at present, about 180 dairy cows, and are milking about 80.

In 2004, Escobar, along seven other farmers, started Rhody Fresh Milk, a co-op producing locally home-grow milk. Within the first six months, Rhody Fresh met their three-year projected goal and, in 2007, they saw a 30 percent increase in sales.

In addition to dairy cows, Escobar has diversified into other areas, now growing Christmas trees, a pumpkin patch and the very popular corn maze, which attracts upwards of 10,000 visitors per year.