Beginning this summer, the Obama Administration is venturing out of the Capitol and embarking on an aptly named Rural Tour. (Wish you could be a Rural Tour Roadie? Do the next best thing. Follow our coverage at the Blog for Rural America, www.cfra.org/blog.)

As an organizer, I am frequently on the road. One of the most energizing and rewarding parts of traveling in rural communities is meeting both longtime friends of the Center for Rural Affairs and also new supporters who are just being introduced to our work. The conversations I have, whether in a local cafe or at a meeting we organize, help the Center to advocate better for rural people even as the challenges and opportunities we face can vary widely.

The Rural Tour, led by various Cabinet secretaries and other administration officials, is a series of listening sessions for rural people to voice their opinions on topics like rural health, energy, agriculture, natural resources and economic development. We at the Center are excited that one of the stops on this tour is in Nebraska, and are glad that decision makers will spend more time outside their offices talking to and hearing feedback from the people who are affected by the policies that decision makers implement.

July saw tour stops in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia and Louisiana. Other states on the tour include North Carolina, Ohio and New Mexico. If the tour comes near you, we hope you will take the opportunity to attend and voice your opinions on the issues you see in your community. Stories from the tour and a schedule are available at www.ruraltour.gov.

At rural campaign stops last year, President Obama promised to return to rural America to hold a Rural Summit. We hope the Rural Tour is a first step towards keeping this promise to rural Americans.

I hope that by the time Secretary Vilsack comes to Nebraska, he leaves his tie at home.

Contact: Steph Larsen, StephL@cfra.org or 402.687.2103 x 1014 to discuss the Rural Tour.