June 2022

Local communities face many challenges when mitigating and adapting to climate change. Cities across the country are experiencing the effects of increased natural disasters, limited resources, sea-level rise, and other impacts. Municipalities and stakeholders have an opportunity to curb greenhouse gas emissions and increase food security through addressing food loss and waste.

Boosting the housing supply is crucial to bringing homeownership within reach for millions of Americans. USDA Rural Development and its lending partners have affordable financing options for homebuyers who are considering building their dream home.

I’m Dr. Wayne M. Detmer, and I work at Lawndale Christian Health Center (LCHC) on Chicago’s west side. Like many neighborhoods around the country, our community members experience significant disparities in health outcomes. We’ve grown in our recognition that excellence in the exam room has its limits, and that to see real change, we need to think outside of exam room walls.

USDA and the Biden Administration have been working hard for months to get more safe infant formula onto shelves across the country. Ending this shortage is a top priority. In the meantime, we’ve heard many uplifting stories of neighbors helping neighbors and strangers reaching out to lend a helping hand. We’ve also seen WIC staff across the country go the extra mile to help the families they serve.

USDA is focused on building new, more, fairer, and more resilient markets for our farmers, ranchers, and producers. To help get there, USDA published the first of several priority initiatives supporting enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, which protects poultry growers and livestock producers from unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive practices.

When enrolling moms into the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children, better known as WIC, less than 30% of state agencies in Connecticut were asking for the father’s name. We don't encourage dads to step up and then we wonder why they don't show up.

Across rural America, people are picking up hammers, screwdrivers and measuring tapes to build their own homes. USDA Rural Development (RD) and Habitat for Humanity’s strong partnership helps ensure that every family has access to well-built, energy efficient, affordable housing.

Imagine a global sickness that spreads faster than HIV and causes nearly as many deaths as malaria.

In honor of National Homeownership Month, USDA Rural Development (RD) and the Biden-Harris Administration will highlight stories of how our programs have helped people in rural, Tribal, and underserved communities buy, repair and build homes, and pay their rent. As small towns and communities face the challenges of rising housing costs, this kind of support is now more critical than ever.

It’s an honor to serve as USDA’s first director of nutrition security and health equity at the Food and Nutrition Service. In this role I have the privilege of working to ensure all Americans have consistent access to safe, healthy, and affordable foods essential to optimal health and well-being.