Rural

When Congress enacted the Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926, it directed the USDA to create a range of federal services in support of producer-owned cooperatives. For nearly 100 years, USDA has gathered statistics, conducted research, provided education, and offered cooperative development to America’s agricultural cooperatives.

October is National Cooperative Month, and the theme, "The Future is Cooperative," anticipates the increasingly vital role cooperatives play in enhancing the quality of life in rural areas. At USDA Rural Development, we recognize the significance of these businesses in fostering economic growth, creating jobs, and building resilient communities.

“It’s been great to have a team that’s not afraid to let me share my opinion, share my identity. I feel like in this space, I’ve been proud of who I am.”

Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off National Homeownership Month. Each year, as part of this nationwide celebration, USDA highlights programs that help people in rural and Tribal areas buy, build and repair affordable homes.

For basketball great Ralph Sampson, farming is his new game of choice. The new and beginning farmer is looking to resurrect his family’s farm and spur new economic growth on the ancestral land.

USDA kicked off National Small Business Month with the Midwest “Path to Prosperity" event at the Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO on April 24^th and 25^th. This was the 19^th event, since 2022, to provide regional business and economic development workshops that featured experts from the financial industry, federal government, community partners and stakeholders.

For the people living on Smith Island, the water matters. But it’s about more than the beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay from the picturesque island ten miles from the mainland. The multi-generational residents depend on the surrounding Chesapeake Bay for their livelihoods. For many, crabbing, oystering, and ecotourism are what puts dollars in their bank accounts, and food on their tables.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum. I was excited to participate in a panel session that reviewed the past 100 years of agricultural trade in the United States and acknowledge the forces that have shaped its evolution during the past century.

Rural communities are the backbone of American life, providing fuel, food and fiber. As a partner, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) understands how critical rural America is to providing the everyday essentials our country depends on. As a result, we invest accordingly.

This October USDA is celebrating National Cooperative Month, an observance that recognizes the cooperative model, its many influential uses, and how cooperatives benefit their members in numerous ways. There are at least 30,000 cooperatives in the United States providing more than $700 billion to the economy. This year’s theme is Owning Our Identity, a reference to the principles and values that distinguish cooperatives from other business forms.