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Rural Development


Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design Seeks Proposals for Rural Communities Facing Design Challenges

January 10, 2013 Chris Beck, USDA Rural Development, Office of the Under Secretary

Today, the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) is issuing a request for proposals to rural communities facing design challenges to host local workshops in 2013. Successful applicants will receive a $7,000 grant and in-kind design expertise and technical assistance valued at $35,000. The...

Rural

Arizona Community Garden Feeds Body and Soul

January 09, 2013 Dianna Jennings, USDA Arizona Special Projects Coordinator

There has been little in Ruben Herrera’s life of late to celebrate. The past few years have been marred by drugs, prison, and homelessness. A military vet who was raised on a farm in Gilbert, Arizona, Ruben remembered the sweetness of his childhood rural lifestyle even as he struggled with the...

Rural

Value-Added Grants Help Minnesota Pork Farm Meet Growing Demand

December 26, 2012 Adam Czech, Minnesota USDA Public Information Officer

“We think that fresh air and sunshine are the best health guarantee.” That’s the quote you’ll see after opening a brochure from Pastures A Plenty Farm. Spend an hour with the VanDerPol family and you quickly understand that those words are much more than just a marketing slogan. It’s the family’s...

Food and Nutrition Farming Rural

School Garden Turns into Living Learning Laboratory for Nevada Fifth Graders

December 21, 2012 Mark Williams, Nevada USDA Rural Development Energy Coordinator

“Can a School Garden Supplement a Community’s Food Supply in a Sustainable Way?” That was the question asked by Bob Gardner’s fifth grade class at Dayton, Nevada, Elementary School on Tuesday as students presented their science projects to classmates and adult guests.

Initiatives Energy Rural

The Rapid City, South Dakota USDA Staff Helps Make Christmas Special for a Family in Need

December 20, 2012 Susan England, South Dakota Rural Development Area Specialist

The Rapid City, South Dakota, service center includes staff from Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), Rural Development (RD) and Pennington County Conservation District. Three years ago, the Rural Development staff contacted the Cornerstone Rescue Mission and...

Rural

USDA Support Helps Delaware Families Build Their Own Homes

December 19, 2012 Kathy Beisner, Acting State Director, USDA Rural Development Delaware/Maryland

Earlier this month I joined Delaware Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons in announcing USDA funding support for a project that will help 24 limited-income families build their own homes. It’s called Self-Help Housing. Under the program, limited-income credit-worthy families work together to build...

Rural

USDA Kentucky Staff Encourages Students to Pursue Careers in Agriculture

December 18, 2012 Katherine Belcher, USDA Rural Development Public Information Officer

Middle and high school students from across the state gathered on the University of Kentucky (UK) campus earlier this month, to learn about potential careers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). UK’s College of Agriculture hosted the group, Jr. Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources...

Initiatives Rural

The Smart Grid and Smart Growth

December 14, 2012 USDA Acting Rural Utilities Service Administrator John Padalino, USDA Rural Development

Two new smart grid projects in North Dakota and South Dakota will help improve electric service for consumers at Northern Electric Cooperative and West Central Electric Cooperative, Inc. by implementing advancements in communications technology. A smarter electric grid can help improve service by...

Energy Rural

Agriculture is Smart for Smart Growth

December 12, 2012 Molly Lambert, Vermont/New Hampshire USDA Rural Development state director

“Smart Growth” is a term we hear more and more often. It is the idea that as communities plan for the future, they consider the highest and best use of every resource – land, infrastructure, organizations and people. From housing to transportation to energy to food; community developers and planners...

Food and Nutrition Farming Rural

Promises to Keep in Challenging Times: 2012 National Rural Housing Conference

December 11, 2012 Candice Celestin, USDA Public Affairs Specialist

“As we determine the future of federal spending, ensuring adequate housing in rural America must be a priority”- that was the statement that many folks, including Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager echoed at the 2012 National Rural Housing Conference, held last week in Washington DC.

Rural
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