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The life of the Chatal workers is limited to the boundaries of the Chatal. They have no separate life, no dreams. Their lives are spent working hard all day. No adequate rest, no recreation. To the Chatal owner they are much like maids. After working so hard for a low wage, they can't put a smile on anyone's face in their family, so they are always mentally depressed & upset. This is how it is passed down through the generations. Still they are trying to educate their next generation. Apart from work, girls are now going to school hoping for a new and beautiful future.
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Amy's Organic Garden in Charles City, VA, on Thursday, May 5, 2011. Owner Amy Hicks harvesting greens at her farm. Ms. Hicks' farm participates with Fall Line Farms a local food cooperative in the Richmond, VA area that offers a wide variety of household food staples and specialty items on an ever changing inventory of fruits, vegetables, meats, soaps, eggs, cheeses, flowers, honey, pastas, sauces, syrups, baked goods, mushrooms, flour and grains. Suppliers post what they have on a Lulus Local Food online listing and customers can make their selection. Every Thursday suppliers deliver orders to, one of several pick-up points, designated by the customers in or around the Richmond area. USDA Photos by Lance Cheung.
Heritage Point Estates ... Less than an hour after this photo taken .. there was a tornado reported touching down at the Okotoks Airport minutes away from this site. Western Half of Alberta has quirky weather being close to the Rocky Mountains and Foothills. Weather can change very quickly ..
American Bankers Association President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jeff L. Plagge responds to a question to the Opportunities in Rural American panel at the White House Rural Council inaugural Rural Opportunity Investment conference on Wednesday, Jul. 23, 2014. The White House Rural Council brings together top leaders from the business community and financial institutions, senior government officials, economic development experts and others from across the country to discuss potential investments in business and infrastructure projects in rural communities. USDA photo by Bob Nichols.
Trees line the riperian zone along Mountain Fork, a tributary of the Little River, seen from a water crossing at US 259 and Wey County 28000, at Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015.
Today, residents, business owners, and governmental entities came to Smithville to celebrate the completion of a more than $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $18 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $7 million WEP Loan. An additional $1 million in support from groups such as the Choctaw Nation completed the funding.
This project, among others are providing essential infrastructure to isolated, and mountainous pockets that contribute to extremely high rates of poverty in Oklahoma. This region is the poorest, most underserved part of the Choctaw Nation Promise Zone, and has the highest concentration of American Indian population.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. It was an unprecedented effort to jumpstart the economy, create and save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
EF4 tornado disaster area in Rolling Fork, MS on April 12, 2023. Houses and other buildings wait for demolition or repair, while the rubble from demolished homes are taken away, and power line crews work on the grid to make it safe for the area.
USDA Media by Lance Cheung.
Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, RD Florida Deputy State Director Catrina Southhall tour the Deseret Ranch, in St Cloud, FL., on March 20, 2023.
Deseret Ranch is a multi-use ranching operation that spreads over three central Florida counties: Osceola, Orange, and Brevard. It occupies almost 300,000 acres of land. Deseret’s landscape includes a variety of pastures, citrus groves, wetlands, and woodlands. Their focus is on raising calves and increasing the productive capacity of the land. Deseret Ranch was founded in 1950 and has served Central Florida for more than 60 years. When much of the property that today comprises Deseret Ranch was purchased in the 1950s, the land consisted mostly of cut-over timberland and wiregrass range land of extremely low quality. With decades of effort, Deseret has created a vibrant, world-class operation for beef cattle, citrus, and timber, while carefully managing the long-term viability of wildlife populations. The Ranch maintains a herd of approximately 42,500 cows, 200,000 citrus trees, and 1,100 acres of both specialty and row crops like corn, potatoes, cucumbers, wheat, soybeans, black beans, sorghum, and cauliflower. There are about 80 full-time staff, which include cowboys, equipment operators, shop mechanics, citrus workers, and office staff. The Ranch has also served as a laboratory for research and innovation in a variety of agricultural sciences. The University of Florida specialists in pastures, citrus, production, soil, agricultural engineering, and animal science have worked alongside Ranch management. They used the Ranch and its development as a model for students and visitors. A non-profit entity owns the Ranch. (USDA photos by Val McMakin.)
Pigs at Keenbell Farm are pasture raised by 3rd generation farmer CJ Isbell in Rockville, VA, on Friday, May 6, 2011. The farm was established in 1951, and produces grass-fed beef, pastured pork, and free-range eggs beyond organic standards. Keenbell Farms pork products range from sausage, to bacon, pork chops, roasts, bratwurst, and many more. A majority of their diet is grass and roots. They are offered corn, soybean, minerals, and a hay mixture that was developed by the farm. Raising the pigs on pastures reduces odor problems, and avoids hazardous waste issues by distributing the manure. Pastures are rotated at least, every 90 days to allow the grass and land to re-grow. Keenbell and other farms produce meat products for Fall Line Farms food hub that offer a wide variety of household food staples and specialty items. Members can pick their customized orders from an ever changing inventory of fruits, vegetables, meats, soaps, eggs, cheeses, flowers, honey, pastas, sauces, syrups, baked goods, mushrooms, flour and grains. Suppliers post what they have to sell on Lulus Local Food online listing where customers can make their selection. Every Thursday, suppliers team up to deliver customized orders to, one of several pick-up points, designated by the customer in or around the Richmond, VA area. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Famers in the Gatsibo District of Rwanda have access to enough water through a government sponsored irrigation project, that has greatly impacted their production. Since the development of this irrigation infrastructure, yields have increased three fold. Photo: A'Melody Lee / World Bank
Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, RD Florida Deputy State Director Catrina Southhall tour the Deseret Ranch, in St Cloud, FL., on March 20, 2023.
Deseret Ranch is a multi-use ranching operation that spreads over three central Florida counties: Osceola, Orange, and Brevard. It occupies almost 300,000 acres of land. Deseret’s landscape includes a variety of pastures, citrus groves, wetlands, and woodlands. Their focus is on raising calves and increasing the productive capacity of the land. Deseret Ranch was founded in 1950 and has served Central Florida for more than 60 years. When much of the property that today comprises Deseret Ranch was purchased in the 1950s, the land consisted mostly of cut-over timberland and wiregrass range land of extremely low quality. With decades of effort, Deseret has created a vibrant, world-class operation for beef cattle, citrus, and timber, while carefully managing the long-term viability of wildlife populations. The Ranch maintains a herd of approximately 42,500 cows, 200,000 citrus trees, and 1,100 acres of both specialty and row crops like corn, potatoes, cucumbers, wheat, soybeans, black beans, sorghum, and cauliflower. There are about 80 full-time staff, which include cowboys, equipment operators, shop mechanics, citrus workers, and office staff. The Ranch has also served as a laboratory for research and innovation in a variety of agricultural sciences. The University of Florida specialists in pastures, citrus, production, soil, agricultural engineering, and animal science have worked alongside Ranch management. They used the Ranch and its development as a model for students and visitors. A non-profit entity owns the Ranch. (USDA photos by Val McMakin.)
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Northeast Oklahoma Area Director Jerry Efurd speaks with some of the 800 McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 customers, business owners, and governmental partners who have come to Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015, to celebrate the completion of the $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton who talk about the USDA and Choctaw partnership with USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA StrikeForce, please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Drinking from the river amid heavy traffic - Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Much of the effects of climate change in the Mekong Region will be felt through water - at different times too much, too little or of poor quality, with the additional threat of severe storms.
People in the Mekong live close to natural water bodies and rely on them for drinking, washing and transport. As cities expand these water bodies are becoming increasingly polluted raising a whole host of public health challenges.
My photographs are (C) Copyright Richard Friend and All Rights Reserved.
None of these photos may be reproduced and/or used in any form of publication, print or the Internet without my written permission.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Engineer and Environmental Coordinator Kevin LeGrand and McCurtain Co. Rural Water District’s Ken Clagg drive over the waters of Mountain Fork, a tributary of the Little River, seen from a water crossing at US 259 and Wey County 28000, at Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015.
Today, residents, business owners, and governmental entities came to Smithville to celebrate the completion of a more than $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $18 million through the USDA RD Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $7 million WEP Loan. An additional $1 million in support from groups such as the Choctaw Nation completed the funding.
This project, among others are providing essential infrastructure to isolated, and mountainous pockets that contribute to extremely high rates of poverty in Oklahoma. This region is the poorest, most underserved part of the Choctaw Nation Promise Zone, and has the highest concentration of American Indian population.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. It was an unprecedented effort to jumpstart the economy, create and save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Engineer and Environmental Coordinator Kevin LeGrand (left) and McCurtain Co. Rural Water District’s Ken Clagg look over the waters of Mountain Fork, a tributary of the Little River, seen from a water crossing at US 259 and Wey County 28000, at Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015.
Today, residents, business owners, and governmental entities came to Smithville to celebrate the completion of a more than $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton who talk about the USDA and Choctaw partnership on USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA StrikeForce, please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Kiamichi Rural Water Department #6 receives water from McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 and serves residents, business owners, and governmental entities in Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015. A $25 million water project for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton to discuss the USDA and Choctaw partnership on USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA StrikeForce, please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor, USDA Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Matt Russel, and USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield, talk after Under Secretary Taylor was sworn-in by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack who presided at the swearing-in ceremony in Urbandale, Iowa, on December 29, 2022. Taylor is a native of Iowa. USDA Photo by Cecilia Lynch.
“Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice” author Jessica Gordon Nembhard discusses her book and thoughts about cooperative opportunities for expanded self-reliance in the future for the African-American community at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D. C. on Monday, Oct. 19, 2015. USDA photo by Bob Nichols.
Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton speaks with some of the more than 800 McCurtain Co. Rural Water District (RWD) #6 customers, business owners, and governmental partners who have come to Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015, to celebrate the completion of a $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton to discuss the USDA and Choctaw partnership with USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Engineer and Environmental Coordinator Kevin LeGrand (left) and McCurtain Co. Rural Water District’s Ken Clagg look over the waters of Mountain Fork, a tributary of the Little River, seen from a water crossing at US 259 and Wey County 28000, at Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015.
Today, residents, business owners, and governmental entities came to Smithville to celebrate the completion of a more than $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton who talk about the USDA and Choctaw partnership on USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA StrikeForce, please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Cucumbers for sale at the Bath County Agricultural Education and Marketing Center, Owingsville, KY, on Friday, July 15, 2011. The Center was the recipient of a $400,000 Rural Business Enterprise Grant. It has given farmers and producers from Bath and surrounding counties the opportunity to manufacture and market their locally grown and locally produced value-added and “Kentucky Proud” branded products, including but not limited to, fresh produce, artisan crafts and specialty food products. The Center is open year-round and allows residents to sell products in four different retail categories, including Kentucky products, regional crafts, “green” groceries and bakery/deli. Several producers expressed their gratitude for Rural Development’s assistance in making the center a reality. The project was made possible through funding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Mountain Fork, a tributary of the Little River, seen from a water crossing at US 259 and Wey County 28000, at Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015.
Today, residents, business owners, and governmental entities came to Smithville to celebrate the completion of a more than $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton who talk about the USDA and Choctaw partnership on USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA StrikeForce, please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Steve Balungwe (floral shirt) accompanied by his brother Innocent arrive at the new three-bedroom home he just closed on, in Rockingham, VA, on May 19, 2021. Congratulating him on homeownership is United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Single-Family Housing Specialist Robin J. Chapman who helped him through the process. They then tour his new 2,000 square-foot townhouse in The Townes development.
Mr. Balungwe, 28-years old, is a nurse’s aide at the nearby Harrisonburg Health and Rehabilitation Center. He first heard about the program from a former coworker who also qualified for a home loan. He was given Ms. Chapman’s contact information. His first call to her was to ask about the program. He also learned about the program by going to the USDA website rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/single-family-housing-programs.
“I really enjoy helping low- and very-low-income families through Rural Home Loans (Direct Program) process and enjoy the opportunities of homeownership,” said Ms. Chapman.
For more information about the Direct Program please got rd.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fact-sheet/508_RD_FS_RHS_SFH502Direct.pdf
Mr. Balungwe emigrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo to attend the Blueridge Community College on a student visa. Then he applied for and received a permanent resident visa.
Balungwe says, that in the Congo, “there are no home loans; house and property are paid for in cash.” The process of homeownership typically takes a long time. Here, he appreciates the opportunity to build equity in his own home, rather than paying rent. Additionally, compared to the current small, cramped third-floor apartment he describes, he will enjoy the three stories, three bedrooms, and garage of his new home.
“Now I’m able to tell other students and coworkers about my USDA path to homeownership.” Says Steve. “USDA Rural Development provides real opportunities for low-income people to become homeowners.”
USDA Photo/Media by Lance Cheung.
Choctaw Nation board members and other McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 residents and business owners, and governmental partners have come to Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015; to celebrate the completion of a $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides clean abundant public water to more than 800 families in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton to discuss the USDA and Choctaw partnership on USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA StrikeForce, please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Northeast Oklahoma Area Director Jerry Efurd speaks with some of the 800 McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 customers, business owners, and governmental partners who have come to Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015, to celebrate the completion of the $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton who talk about the USDA and Choctaw partnership with USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA StrikeForce, please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Weeks from completion, a methane reactor with endothermic gasifier surrounds Doug Jernigan, a three-generation family farm owner (with his wife Aileen) and employer who, a few months earlier, refinanced a first of it’s kind, in the nation, swine-turkey waste to renewable energy system (RES), with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) loan guarantee in Mt. Olive, NC, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015.
Typical systems separate methane gas for energy, solids are disposed or repurposed and liquids are cleaned. This new system addition takes the watery manure effluent to a new and as Mr. Jernigan say’s “prolific profit” producing state through savings and sales. “There is an opportunity for the farm to make money doing a good thing for the environment.”
The system handles about 75,000 gallons of swine and turkey waste effluent each day. Piped to a series of tanks, and mechanical equipment that separates solids, and liquids. The current treatment facility biologically removes ammonia nitrogen with bacteria adapted to high-strength wastewater; removes phosphorus via alkali precipitation; and reduction emissions of odorant compounds, ammonia, pathogens, and heavy metals to the environment. The water is cleaned for reuse in the swine and turkey operations that wash more manure into the cycle of the system.
The new methane reactors (under the framework of what will be a C-span structure) use an endothermic gasifier that heats the waste solids to very high temperatures to the point that they release gases. The clean methane gas will fuel an engine that turns a 300KW electrical generator producing electricity; ethanol will help fuel farm equipment, and resulting potash solids can be used or sold for agricultural fertilizer. Excess amounts of electricity, that the farms cannot use, will be sold and transmitted to the local energy company, for use by residents and businesses; renewable energy credits (REC) are sold to a different energy company.
With a system that eliminates all ammonia and other odor creating compounds, Mr. Jernigan says, “What I’m doing is good for the environment; it’s good for the farm in the respect that you’re getting rid of waste that you’re creating in a high-tech way. There’s no footprint. It’s just gone.”
Doug and Aileen are lifelong farmers and they have three grown children that work in the farm operation. Their farm currently operates a 21,600 finishing farm operation, an eight house turkey operation, a 250 head cow /calf operation. The farm also consists of 2,400 acres of row crop production (cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat).
Doug Jernigan’s grandfather started farming here in 1941, and he continues the tradition with his business that began in 1974.
In talking about the greater potential of this technology and what others should consider, Jernigan says, “I see it as a win-win thing.”
For more information about USDA, RD and REAP please see: www.usda.gov, www.rd.usda.gov, and www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-energy-america-pr...
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung
*The treatment system (without the methane reactor) was documented to remove, on a mass basis, approximately 99% of total suspended solids, 98% of COD, 99% of TKN, 100% ammonia, 100% odor compounds, 92% phosphorus, 95% copper, and 97% zinc from the flushed manure. Fecal coliform reductions were measured to be 99.98%
McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 residential and business customers, and governmental partners have come to Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015; to celebrate the completion of a $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides clean abundant public water to more than 800 families in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton to discuss the USDA and Choctaw partnership on USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA StrikeForce, please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Patriot Farmers of America (PFA) staff participant Ned King (red shirt) describes the soil-based farm training he is receiving before training with the Helical Outpost® hydroponic organic farm system, to be located over the hill behind him at the future PFA facility site at the Hill and Dale Farm in Berryville, VA on Tuesday, Jul. 7, 2015.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (FFAS) Deputy Under Secretary Karis T. Gutter and U.S. Marine Corps Reserve veteran is the current and first USDA Military Veterans Agricultural (MVA) Liaison Deputy stands to the right. USDA photo by Lance Cheung.
McCurtain Co. Rural Water District's Ken Clagg, opens a valve to vent a pipeline, ensuring they are full and properly supplying Kiamichi Rural Water Department customers, such as the Smithville Schools and children, in Smithville, OK on Wednesday, April 8, 2015.
The water system improvements for this system were made with the assistance of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development (RD).
Today, McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 customers, business owners, and governmental entities have come to Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015, to celebrate the completion of a $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains. The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton to discuss the USDA and Choctaw partnership on USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA StrikeForce, please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small saw premade meals being portioned, sealed, and packaged during a visit to Twinsburg, Ohio, on February 8, 2023, to announce a 2.4 million investment for Thomas Lane, Inc. and Innovation Food Service. The USDA RD Food Supply Chain Guarantee Loan will help the company buy high-pressure processing equipment that will extend the shelf life of prepared meals that Innovation Food Services provides to schools, daycare facilities, and seniors throughout northeastern Ohio. This will reduce food waste by keeping meals fresh for up to 100 days, ten times longer than without the new equipment.
The Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program is part of USDA’s Build Back Better initiative to strengthen critical supply chains and our food system. For more information go to www.rd.usda.gov/food-supply-chain-guaranteed-loans
USDA photo by Heather Stacy.
Peaches for sale at the Bath County Agricultural Education and Marketing Center, Owingsville, KY, on Friday, July 15, 2011. The Center was the recipient of a $400,000 Rural Business Enterprise Grant. It has given farmers and producers from Bath and surrounding counties the opportunity to manufacture and market their locally grown and locally produced value-added and “Kentucky Proud” branded products, including but not limited to, fresh produce, artisan crafts and specialty food products. The Center is open year-round and allow residents to sell products in four different retail categories, including Kentucky products, regional crafts, “green” groceries and bakery/deli. Several producers expressed their gratitude for Rural Development’s assistance in making the center a reality. The project was made possible through funding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Smithville Schools receives water from McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 and serves residents, business owners, and governmental entities in Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015. A $25 million water project for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton to discuss the USDA and Choctaw partnership on USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA StrikeForce, please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Kiamichi Rural Water Department #6 receives water from McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 and serves residents, business owners, and governmental entities in Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015. A $25 million water project for the first time ever provides public water to residents in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton to discuss the USDA and Choctaw partnership on USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA StrikeForce, please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, RD Florida Deputy State Director Catrina Southhall tour the Deseret Ranch, in St Cloud, FL., on March 20, 2023.
Deseret Ranch is a multi-use ranching operation that spreads over three central Florida counties: Osceola, Orange, and Brevard. It occupies almost 300,000 acres of land. Deseret’s landscape includes a variety of pastures, citrus groves, wetlands, and woodlands. Their focus is on raising calves and increasing the productive capacity of the land. Deseret Ranch was founded in 1950 and has served Central Florida for more than 60 years. When much of the property that today comprises Deseret Ranch was purchased in the 1950s, the land consisted mostly of cut-over timberland and wiregrass range land of extremely low quality. With decades of effort, Deseret has created a vibrant, world-class operation for beef cattle, citrus, and timber, while carefully managing the long-term viability of wildlife populations. The Ranch maintains a herd of approximately 42,500 cows, 200,000 citrus trees, and 1,100 acres of both specialty and row crops like corn, potatoes, cucumbers, wheat, soybeans, black beans, sorghum, and cauliflower. There are about 80 full-time staff, which include cowboys, equipment operators, shop mechanics, citrus workers, and office staff. The Ranch has also served as a laboratory for research and innovation in a variety of agricultural sciences. The University of Florida specialists in pastures, citrus, production, soil, agricultural engineering, and animal science have worked alongside Ranch management. They used the Ranch and its development as a model for students and visitors. A non-profit entity owns the Ranch. (USDA photos by Val McMakin.)
Patriot Farmers of America (PFA) staff participant Ned King (left) talks with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) Chief of Staff Carlissia Graham, while PFA volunteer participant Willie Derek Riddick II (second from right) talks with USDA Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (FFAS) Deputy Under Secretary Karis T. Gutter (right) and Outreach Specialist Esther Lin (center) about his agriculture career plans, during a visit to the future site of PFA (behind them) at the Hill and Dale Farm in Berryville, VA on Tuesday, Jul. 7, 2015. Deputy Under Secretary Karis T. Gutter and U.S. Marine Corps Reserve veteran is the current and first USDA Military Veterans Agricultural (MVA) Liaison. Gutter emphasized five “buckets” of USDA resources – education, capital and land, land quality, risk management, and expansion and investment. USDA photo by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor speaks after being sworn-in by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, in Urbandale, Iowa, on December 29, 2022. Under Secretary Taylor was joined at the ceremony by family who assisted with the bible. USDA Photo by Cecilia Lynch.
Pigs at Keenbell Farm are pasture raised by 3rd generation farmer CJ Isbell in Rockville, VA, on Friday, May 6, 2011. The farm was established in 1951, and produces grass-fed beef, pastured pork, and free-range eggs beyond organic standards. Keenbell Farms pork products range from sausage, to bacon, pork chops, roasts, bratwurst, and many more. A majority of their diet is grass and roots. They are offered corn, soybean, minerals, and a hay mixture that was developed by the farm. Raising the pigs on pastures reduces odor problems, and avoids hazardous waste issues by distributing the manure. Pastures are rotated at least, every 90 days to allow the grass and land to re-grow. Keenbell and other farms produce meat products for Fall Line Farms food hub that offer a wide variety of household food staples and specialty items. Members can pick their customized orders from an ever changing inventory of fruits, vegetables, meats, soaps, eggs, cheeses, flowers, honey, pastas, sauces, syrups, baked goods, mushrooms, flour and grains. Suppliers post what they have to sell on Lulus Local Food online listing where customers can make their selection. Every Thursday, suppliers team up to deliver customized orders to, one of several pick-up points, designated by the customer in or around the Richmond, VA area. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen, (CO-07), gray blazer, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small , tan blazer, and USDA RD State Director Armando Valdez participates in a rural housing roundtable discussion with state and local leaders, and business leaders on March 16, 2023 in Salida, CO. Topics for the roundtable may include broadband, housing, water and how USDA can help with these needs in rural communities.
USDA is proud to partner with leaders like Congresswoman Pettersen to use these unprecedented resources to make sure people have access to good jobs, high-speed internet, modern infrastructure and safe, affordable housing. Together, we can ensure all people in rural Colorado and across the country have every opportunity to succeed. The Biden-Harris Administration awarded $28.8 million in 2022 to update our water infrastructure. The Biden-Harris Administration has invested more than $34 million in projects that will bring high-speed internet to people living in rural Colorado. Under the last round of ReConnect funding, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced more than $1.6 billion in awards, connecting 61,914 households with high-speed internet. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $65 billion investment to expand affordable, high-speed internet to all communities across the country and USDA will announce more awards later this spring with funding made available through this historic legislation. Before the end of the month, USDA RD will make nearly $80 million available through its Community Connect program. USDA photo by Rebecca Kaufman.
McCurtain Co. Water District #6 board member Garland Owens talks about his personal experience with the new water system; no longer relying on ground water wells that were hundreds of feet deep, produced low volumes of water and had to be hauled to homes for use in Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015.
McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 residential and business customers, and governmental partners have come to Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015; to celebrate the completion of a $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides clean abundant public water to more than 800 families in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton to discuss the USDA and Choctaw partnership in the Promise Zone.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Arkansas on Friday, September 16, 2022, to meet with producers and partners to discuss the new USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Project program designed to expand markets for Americaâs climate-smart commodities, leverage the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production, and provide direct, meaningful benefits to production agriculture, including for small and underserved producers.
The USDA is investing up to $2.8 billion into 70 selected projects for the first funding pool of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity; 20 of those projects are expected to affect Arkansas.
(USDA/FPAC photo by Christopher Willis)
Rebecca Evans Chadwick gently gathers a small number of sunflower sprouts before she cuts them to the perfect bite-sized micro greens length for Manakintowne Specialty Growers, a 21-acre farm in Powhatan County, Virginia, where Jo Pendergraph, her family and team raise specialty produce for chefs and markets of Richmond, Charlottesville and Williamsburg and a food hub, on Friday, May 6, 2011. This includes the online food hub of Lulus Local Food served by the Fall Line Farms cooperative. This is one of the farms that chefs get those seemingly unique greens such as French Sorrel, Pea Shoots, Frisee, Tat soi, Mizuna, Pink/green radish shoots, Sunflower shoots, Baby red mustard, Tuscan Kale, Beet greens. All harvested by hand and scissors micro greens such as Pak choi, Tat soi, Mizuna, Purple kohlrabi, Shungiku (edible chrysanthemum), Ruby chard, Purple/Daikon/Triton radish, Red amaranth and Bull's Blood Beet. To be enjoyed by the eyes and mouth, edible flowers such as African Blue Basil, Nasturtiums, Johnny Jump Ups, and Chive blossoms Dianthus (pinks) are grown here. The seasonal choices are listed by suppliers and ordered by members on Lulus Local Food website, the food is distributed to pick-up points in the Richmond area. Together, they offer a wide variety of household food staples and specialty fruits, vegetables, meats, soaps, eggs, cheeses, flowers, honey, pastas, sauces, syrups, baked goods, mushrooms, flour and grains from and for the Richmond area. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Andrew Berke, Administrator of Rural Utilities Services at the USDA, chats with guests before an announcement at the White House on May 16, 2023. The White House, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Members of Congress hosted a launch event for the USDA Rural Utilities Service’s Inflation Reduction Act programs. Celebrating a historic moment for clean energy and rural America-with approximately $11 billion in new funds- the single largest investment in rural electrification since the 1930s that will create new rural economic opportunities and help combat climate change. (USDA photo by Christophe Paul)
This image is excerpted from a U.S. GAO report:
www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-193
RURAL HOUSING SERVICE: Actions Needed to Strengthen Management of the Single Family Mortgage Guarantee Program
EF4 tornado disaster area in Rolling Fork, MS on April 12, 2023. Houses and other buildings wait for demolition or repair, while the rubble from demolished homes are taken away, and power line crews work on the grid to make it safe for the area.
USDA Media by Lance Cheung.
Greetings are made during the arrival of U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Rural Development RD Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, left, announced that USDA is investing $102 million to expand access to housing and water infrastructure for socially disadvantaged rural people who live and work in 45 states and American Samoa, during a visit to Siesta Shores and Falcon Lake in Zapata Co., TX, on Dec 16, 2022. The 263 projects in which USDA invests will create economic opportunities and improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in rural America.
The investments are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensure that people living in rural America have equitable access to the infrastructure and economic opportunities they deserve.
“USDA invests in rural America because we know a strong community is rooted in its people,” Torres Small said. “Thanks to the leadership of President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, USDA can help invest in opportunity and prosperity for all people, regardless of background or financial status, who make up the character and personality of our great country’s rural lands.”
The Siesta Shores Water Control and Improvement District in Zapata County, Texas, is receiving a $1 million Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant to purchase a filter upgrade along with new raw water pumps and electrical wiring. It also will install six-inch raw water piping and fittings to reach the deeper parts of the community’s water source, Falcon Lake.
These investments are in addition to the recent expansion of the Rural Partners Network (RPN), which is central to President Biden’s commitment to ensure all rural people can benefit from federal resources. Led by USDA with support from more than 20 federal agencies and commissions, RPN is part of an all-of-government strategy to champion rural people and places, including Native American communities.
These programs are Water and Waste Disposal Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands and Colonias, Appalachian Regional Commission Grants, Delta Health Care Grants, Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grants, Housing Preservation Grants, Rural Community Development Initiative Grants, Tribal College Initiative Grants, Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants, Rural and Native Alaskan Village Grants, Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants and Community Facilities Disaster Grant Program.
USDA Media by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen speaks with McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 residential and business customers, and governmental partners have come to Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015; to celebrate the completion of a $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides clean abundant public water to more than 800 families in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton who talked about the USDA and Choctaw partnerships with USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen speaks with some of the 800 McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 residential and business customers, and governmental partners have come to Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015; to celebrate the completion of a $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides clean abundant public water to more than 800 families in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton to discuss the USDA and Choctaw partnership in the Promise Zone.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen speaks with McCurtain Co. Rural Water District #6 residential and business customers, and governmental partners have come to Smithville, OK, on April 8, 2015; to celebrate the completion of a $25 million water project that for the first time ever provides clean abundant public water to more than 800 families in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains.
The McCurtain RWD #6 project consisted of installing 253 miles of new water transmission and distribution lines and constructing five pump stations and three water storage tanks.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Grant provided $ 17,953,950 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP), and a $5,659,000 WEP Loan. The balance was funded by collaborating with several other funding sources such as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Community Development Block Grant), Oklahoma Water Resources Board (Rural Economic Action Plan Grant) and the McCurtain RWD #6 itself.
Attending this event are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton who talked about the USDA and Choctaw partnerships with USDA StrikeForce initiatives in the Promise Zones.
In an effort to lay a new foundation for economic growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The Recovery Act included measures to modernize our Nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Of the $40.7 billion in program-level Recovery Act funding obligated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development obligated more than $21.2 billion in program-level funding to administer through seven USDA programs.
For more information about this project, please see www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/rural-development-p...
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the ARRA, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/recovery/
For more information about USDA RD’s role in the Promise Zones, please see: www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/initiatives/promise-zones
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
A school boy from Tilonia drinks from a tap from a rainwater harvesting tank that provides clean drinking water for the school children. The rainwater harvesting system collects rainwater from the roof of the school. It is filtered and stored for drinking in this semi-arid region of Rajasthan, India.
Arcadia Executive Director Pam Hessand and Mobile Market Operator Erin Close talk about Arcadia Mobile Market food hub that opened at Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Union Market in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Apr. 28, 2016. A food hub is a business or organization that manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of locally-produced food to satisfy the growing demand for local products. USDA photo by Shakeitha Stone.