Rural Development

As part of the Obama Administration’s goal of doubling renewable energy production by 2012, America’s rural electric cooperatives are stepping forward to develop new, sustainable ways to produce electricity. These efforts are not only good for the environment; they help meet an expanding need for...

Biofuel stakeholders and agricultural leaders participated in Virginia’s Biofuels Forum on November 4 th. The forum was held at the Virginia Farm Bureau Building located in Goochland.

Voting opens tomorrow for the 2010 Farm Service Agency County Committee elections and producers are being encouraged to get involved by turning in their ballots before the December deadline.

The Canal Corridor Association, headquartered in LaSalle, Ill., has recaptured the past to build for the future, and a USDA Rural Development Business & Industry loan guarantee is helping them do it.

Space is filling up, but there are still a few openings available for landowners, farmers, producers, ranchers, and foresters who plan to attend the Renewable Energy Biomass Education Field Days event in Knoxville, Tennessee, from November 16-18. There is no registration fee and a limited number of...

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon joined Cheryl Cook, Deputy Under Secretary for USDA Rural Development in St. Joseph, Missouri late last month to announce an agreement that is the first step to addressing a nationwide demand for more large-animal veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

David Villano, assistant administrator of USDA’s Rural Utilities programs recently provided the keynote address to the 2010 Kansas Broadband Summit in Wichita. The Summit, entitled “A Fully Connected Kansas – Mission Possible” addressed topics of telemedicine, government services, economic...

As Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan wrapped up a multi-state visit last week, she stopped in Kentucky where she announced the recipients for the Rural Microentreprenuer Assistance Program (RMAP) on Oct. 28.

The Town of Newburg, West Virginia was awarded a total of $2,875,000 for the Fellowsville, York Run, and State Route 26 Water Extension Project. USDA Rural Development provided a $400,000 loan, $941,000 grant, and a $185,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant to the project. The...

Somerton, Arizona, is a great example of how USDA Rural Development programs can help bolster a small rural community by touching so many aspects of not only the rural economy but the diverse and vibrant rural people who make it work.