Rural America

Trade between nations regularly involves meeting strict government requirements that often create logistical obstacles for all parties involved. U.S. seed businesses often experience this when doing business with our cousins to the north. Canada is one of the largest importers of U.S. seed – with...

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Louisiana with my Administrator, Elanor Starmer, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), and visit Southern University and A & M College (Southern), an 1890 Land Grant University and Historically Black College. Located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the...

Today, we celebrated National Farmers Market Week at Uptown Market in Greenwood, South Carolina, highlighting USDA support for the local food sector in South Carolina and across the country. Uptown Market Manager, Stephanie Turner, and Greenwood Mayor Welborn Adams joined us in thanking the farmers...

Cross-posted from the WhiteHouse.gov blog: There’s an exciting trend underway across the country. More and more, major companies are leaving offshore hubs and turning to rural communities in America for high-quality IT talent. In addition to a narrowing wage gap and higher quality of work in these...

It takes more than just a bountiful harvest to succeed in today’s agricultural marketplace. Many farmers find strength in numbers by pooling resources and expertise to grow and sustain their businesses in both the U.S. and international markets. For soybean farmers, the United Soybean Board (USB)...

I’ve had many jobs in my life, but none as challenging or rewarding as my career as a shell egg grader. With a cumulative 22 years grading eggs in Ohio, I’ve witnessed first-hand the evolution of an industry. I have also watched my agency – USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) – adapt right...

When I reflect on USDA’s international work over the past seven years, I don’t just see a great record of accomplishments, I see the building of a strong foundation that positions rural Americans to compete, grow and thrive in the years ahead. Today, we’re launching the sixth chapter of USDA Results...

A group of coders in hooded sweatshirts and big headphones stare intently at their computer screens. In the corner, staff take a break at the foosball table, while a young woman in an oversized beanbag chair types away on her laptop. You might be picturing the headquarters of a Silicon Valley...

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...

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...