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A recent Food for Progress (FFP) project in Bangladesh shows how a small effort can have a big impact on a community. The Rural Enterprise for Alleviating Poverty project is managed by Winrock International with the help of USDA and the Ministry of Fisheries in Bangladesh. The goal of this project...

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2012 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of 28 recipients in rural communities for loans and grants to spur economic development and create or save jobs. "The funding I am announcing today will help rural businesses, entrepreneurs and tribal...

Both of us grew up in small towns, Kathleen in Greenfield, MA and Bob in Ancram, NY. From our own experiences, we understand the challenges and the importance of a strong rural economy. We recently visited Brevard, a town of about 6,000 people in North Carolina’s Transylvania County. While there we...

Lexington, KY, March 19, 2015 - USDA Secretary Vilsack today announced an expansion of the USDA StrikeForce Initiative for Rural Growth and Opportunity to address chronic rural poverty in 32 identified counties in Oklahoma and the entire island of Puerto Rico. Today's announcement brings StrikeForce...

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2012 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA has selected for funding 10 projects nationwide to help rural small businesses and agricultural producers reduce energy consumption and implement renewable energy technologies. The funding will be made available...

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2018 – Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced USDA is hosting a series of monthly roundtables on opioids through the summer. “The opioid epidemic in rural communities is more than a public health issue,” Hazlett said. “This is a matter of...

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 27, 2019 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today released the following statement on President Donald Trump’s appointment of Chad Rupe as Administrator of the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utilities Service. “Chad served us well as Rural Development State...

Earlier this month, I joined colleagues from several USDA agencies in Knoxville, Tennessee to discuss biomass production and renewable energy opportunities with producers. The event was sponsored by the Farm Foundation.

Fifty years ago, President Johnson declared the beginning of “an unconditional war on poverty in America,” challenging us to bring to bear all of our available tools and resources to address poverty and income inequality across America. Born poor in the small town of Stonewall, Texas, President...