USDA Blog

Things were “rolling” at Park Lanes in Newton, Illinois Thursday morning for Rural Development’s Road Show. This was our fifth Road Show where we shared how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) can help do what’s needed in rural communities. This time we met with “scores” of our east...

Ideas ranging from opening a beef slaughterhouse to attracting more investment in renewable energy came from the Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth co-sponsored by USDA Rural Development and the Farm Service Agency at Western Nevada College in Carson City, Nevada. Nearly 100 people braved snow and...

It is difficult for most people to comprehend the distances and diversity we face here in California. For example: the distance from Smith River, in the Northwest corner of California, to Winterhaven, in the Southeast corner, is the same distance as it is from Chicago to Washington, D.C.

The United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development and Farm Service Agency in Louisiana hosted a Jobs and Economic Growth Roundtable in Alexandria, bringing together more than 30 community leaders, business owners, and residents from across the state to discuss what is needed to create...

On a Friday filled with forecasts of freezing rain and snow advisories, more than 170 attendees became an overflow crowd at John A.

Over 250 attended the Broadband Workshop on Ground Hog Day (Feb.

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan visited with the students, faculty and administrators at the University of New Hampshire as part of USDA’s ‘ Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ college tour. Deputy Secretary Merrigan had the opportunity to learn about current research efforts from staff...

Bend, Oregon – Panels of economic experts, elected officials, community leaders and state agencies once again presented information in conjunction with Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Rural Development (RD) for a jointly hosted USDA Forum on Jobs & Economic Growth on January 28.

We wrapped up the final of four USDA-led jobs forums Monday in Anchorage. As in Fairbanks, Kotzebue and Juneau, area leaders joined with Alaskans from all walks to life to provide input on what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to job creation and retention, especially in rural Alaska.

As I write, the streets of D.C. are piled with snow, Federal government offices in the area are closed, and the city has come to a slip-sliding standstill. Throughout the storm, my colleagues from USDA’s Economic Research Service have been working to get Your Food Environment Atlas up and running...