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Written by Ann Tutwiler, Coordinator of the Global Food Security Initiative This May, the U.S. government announced the Feed the Future (FTF) initiative to stem global hunger and increase food security, marking a new direction in food aid and assistance. The whole-of-government approach links USDA’s...

ELLIJAY, Ga., Feb. 7, 2020 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Georgia State Director Joyce White announced a $4.4 million investment in high-speed broadband infrastructure. This investment will support the construction of 90 miles of fiber-optic infrastructure in Gilmer...

CROSSVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 8, 2020 – The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $16 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Tennessee. These investments are part of the $550 million Congress...

Rural child poverty fell by 3 percentage points from 2012 to 2014. Over the past seven years, USDA and the Obama Administration have taken action to address the root causes and reduce the devastating effects of rural child poverty. As a record streak of private sector job creation has cut nationwide...

May 20, 2016 is the 80 th anniversary of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. The REA was created to bring electricity to farms. In 1936, nearly 90 percent of farms lacked electric power because the costs to get electricity to rural areas were prohibitive. REA funding and the hard work of Rural...

On April 25th, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order promoting agriculture and rural prosperity in America. This Executive Order directs the establishment of the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to "promote economic development and revitalization, job growth...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $190.5 million in grants and loans to make broadband and other advanced communications infrastructure improvements in rural areas. "Modern telecommunications and broadband access is now as essential to the businesses and...

WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 19, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department is making up to $10 million available to help people living in rural towns develop community renewable energy projects that will help them cut their energy costs and...

MORGANTOWN, W.Va., Jan. 20, 2020 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) West Virginia State Director Kris Warner announced USDA has invested $18.7 million in a high-speed broadband infrastructure project that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 6,300 rural households...

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2018 – Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $243 million in 50 rural community facility projects (PDF, 174 KB) in 22 states. “Rural communities represent a wealth of opportunity,”...