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)

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.

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.

From left, Each Peach Market Co-owners Jeanelouise Conaway and Emily Freidberg take time to talk about why they do business with Tuscarora Organic Growers (TOG) deliver organic produce to their store in the Washington, D.C., on Tuesday Aug 2, 2016. Each Peach Market was established in 2013 is a full service grocery store providing produce, dairy, farm fresh eggs, meat, beer and wine, prepared foods. The staff is ready and able to tell about how and where the foods are from and suggest ways to prepare meals. Conaway and Freidberg say they “…share our love for good food and the DIY culinary spirit with our community.” They feature many great local products grown and made in the region, and use suppliers such as Tuscarora to get them into this urban market.For the story behind these photos go to Rural Cooperatives Magazine and subscribe to future digital editions at www.rd.usda.gov/publications/rural-cooperatives-magazine

For more information about USDA Rural Development please go to www.rd.usda.gov/

For more information about USDA please go to www.usda.gov

USDA Media 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.

Debbie Price 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. Ms. Price acknowledges the community’s 15-years of work it took to get clean abundant water piped into homes.

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.

Maria da Sena Araujo and her family tend a crop of potatoes. Da Sena recently returned to the area from the city. Brazil. Photo taken as part of Development 360 project. Photo: Scott Wallace / World Bank

Photo ID: SW-BR02 World Bank

4th year medical student Cody Reynolds (standing) practices an examination of the lymphatic drainage of the head and chest of Associate Dean for Clinical Sciences and Health Policy Fellow Dr. Randy Litman, DO, at University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (UP-KYCOM), Pikeville, KY on Tuesday, July 12, 2011. The small size of this lab forces classes to be split, extending the school day and making the instructional content inconsistent between the split classes.

Dr. Reynolds will be in the first class to graduate from (but not study in) the new Coal Building, to be finished in 2012. The building is part of the $25 million expansion project at UP-KYCOM. The project will provide the undergraduate college with a new educational facility and an expanded clinical skills center. The nine-story structure is part of the new facility that will include two lecture halls, a gross anatomy lab, two research labs, offices, small group classrooms and student study space. A clinical skills training and evaluation center that will house 12 specially equipped examination rooms will be within the building and serve as training and testing centers for students in programs using standardized patients and high-fidelity robotic patient simulators. An expanded osteopathic manipulative medicine lab and clinic will provide learning opportunities, as well as housing UP-KYCOM’s free community clinic, which will be easy to reach from the sidewalk. Plans for the building also include a new cafeteria for the campus community. "We are embarking on a vital project that will greatly enhance the excellent medical education our student doctors receive," said Pikeville College President Paul E. Patton. "At the same time, it will allow us to expand the current class size from 75 to 125 students, increasing the total enrollment from 300 to 500 students. The college initiated a capital construction campaign. In order to secure adequate funding, the board of trustees authorized borrowing up to $25 million from the USDA Rural Development. Commitments of $1.6 million have been secured through gifts and pledges, including $500,000 from the James Graham Brown Foundation. Significant grants have also been received from the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung

Amy's Organic Garden owner Amy Hicks harvests greens at her farm in Charles City, VA on May 5, 2011. 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 (who pay seasonal dues) can make their selection. Then every Thursday suppliers team up with other suppliers to deliver orders to, one of several pick-up points, designated by the customer in or around the Richmond area. USDA Photos by Lance Cheung.

“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.

“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.

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 America’s 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)

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.

Beets 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.

Arcadia Executive Director Pam Hess (white coat in center) speaks with Mobile Market Operator Erin Close (blue jacket) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) Administrator Sam Rikkers (dark suit and blue shirt) about how informational reports can help the financial performance of food hubs such as Arcadia Mobile Market with one of its vehicles and marketing display equipment on view today at the Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture at Union Market in Washington, D.C. Thursday, Apr. 28, 2016. The new resource is a report, Running a Food Hub: Assessing Financial Viability that includes information on how food hubs can maximize profits and control costs. The report gives technical assistance for food hubs at different stages of development and includes guidance on how established food hubs can expand into financially viable long-term businesses. USDA Photo by Shakeitha Stone.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack moderates the panel on Opportunities in Rural American at the White House Rural Council inaugural Rural Opportunity Investment conference on Wednesday, Jul. 23, 2014. (L to R Panel members New York City Chief Investment Officer Seema R. Hingorani, Citigroup Bank Services Group Global Head of Public Sector Julie Monaco, American Bankers Association President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jeff L. Plagge, and Treasury Secretary Anthony Foxx). 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.

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.

A bridge spans the dry Arroyo Veleno in Zapata Co., TX, on Dec 16, 2022. Only drought-tolerant plans survive in the waterway. The brown on the bridge supports indicates past water levels.

U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Rural Development RD Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small 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. 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, receives 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 Illustration by Lance Cheung.

Arcadia Mobile Market Poster at the opening of Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, Food Hub at 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.

Kyle and Erica Dosedo’s children play in the back yard near their dogs, thanks to the work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) and Zuni Pueblo Housing Authority (ZHA) Zuni Self-Help Housing project in Zuni, NM, on September 9, 2019. A 2012 RD Self Help Technical Assistance Grant of $279,000 was awarded to ZHA for technical assistance in the construction of 12 homes where the homeowners build their homes (with the exception of those areas that need a license such as electrical and plumbing), and ZHA oversees the construction. ZHA has since received additional funding to continue the project. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung (with permission of Zuni Pueblo).

“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 an approximately $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 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.

“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.

Organic produce from Tuscarora Organic Growers (TOG) was delivered to Each Peach Market in the Washington, D.C., on Tuesday Aug 2, 2016. Each Peach Market, established in 2013, is a full service grocery store providing produce, dairy, farm fresh eggs, meat, beer and wine, prepared foods and more. The staff is ready and able to tell about how and where the foods are from and suggest ways to prepare meals. Jeanelouise Conaway and Emily Freidberg co-own the market to, as they say “…share our love for good food and the DIY culinary spirit with our community.” They feature many great local products grown and made in the region, and use suppliers such as Tuscarora to get them into this urban market.For the story behind these photos go to Rural Cooperatives Magazine and subscribe to future digital editions at www.rd.usda.gov/publications/rural-cooperatives-magazine

For more information about USDA Rural Development please go to www.rd.usda.gov/

For more information about USDA please go to www.usda.gov

USDA Media 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.

Doug O’Brien, Senior Policy Advisor for Rural Affairs, White House Domestic Policy Council participated in the Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D. C., Tue., Oct. 13, 2015. The meeting of federal agencies and cooperative organizations was held to develop the cooperative business model and cooperative structure. USDA photo by Bob Nichols.

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.

Soybean Bag Toss

Children from local schools and summer programs have come to the “Farmers on the Green” event, to participate in STEM soy and agriculture-based learning activates and lunch at the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem in New York, NY, on July 29, 2021. The activities also include experiments that demonstrate water retention of soil with various organic content, soybean bag toss, soybean spoon carry around a soy information placard, soy product quiz, talk with New York FFA officers about their interests and activities in agriculture.

Soy-biobased grass manufacturer, SYNLawn, partnered with United Soybean Board, New York Corn and Soybean Growers and Indiana Soybean Alliance. In honor of this special event, SYNLawn installed a soy biobased synthetic grass at the club, where all of the learning stations are set-up. The soy biobased synthetic grass covers a hard surface that became too hot to play on, during high summer heat conditions. The new covering is cooler and provides a softer low maintenance surface.

During the event, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Deputy Under Secretary Justin Maxson, on the 10th anniversary of the creation of the USDA’s Certified Biobased Product Label, unveiled an Economic Impact Analysis of the U.S. Biobased Products Industry. The report demonstrates that the biobased industry is a substantial generator of economic activity and jobs, and that it has a significant positive impact on the environment. For more information, go to usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/07/29/usda-releases-economic-impact-analysis-us-biobased-products. USDA Media by Lance Cheung.

“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.

“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.

Sen. Tina Smith, (D-MN), makes some remarks during an announcement in room 350 of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building 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)

Sen. Michael Bennet, (D-Co), delivers some remarks during an announcement in room 350 of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building 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)

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, (D-MI), makes some remarks during an announcement in room 350 of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building 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)

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Jenny Steffensmeier of Steffensmeier Welding and Manufacturing Incorporated deliver remarks to stakeholders in Pilot Grove, IA on Saturday, Sep. 24, 2016. Steffensmeier's company recently installed solar panels that can provide 100 percent of the company’s energy needs. . The Secretary was there to highlight the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) investments in other Iowa businesses and how renewable energy can strengthen the rural economy. USDA photo by Bill Menner.

Ali Zaidi, White House National Climate Advisor, delivers some remarks during an announcement in room 350 of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building 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)

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.

Smithfield Fire Department secretary Debbie Prise talks about her personal experience with the new water system; no longer relying on low volumes of water that 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.

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.

Ag amharc síos ar an loch i mbaile fearainn Chnoc a' Stolaire i nGaoth Dobhair.

Looking towards the lake in the townland of Cnoc a' Stolaire in Gaoth Dobhair, county Donegal.

Pamila Gonvalves and her son Carlos Daniel Batista in Santa Maria in the Amazon region of Brazil near Manaus. Brazil. Photo: Julio Pantoja / World Bank

Photo ID: JPBR-1531-9-B World Bank

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.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack moderates the panel on Opportunities in Rural American at the White House Rural Council inaugural Rural Opportunity Investment conference on Wednesday, Jul. 23, 2014. (L to R Panel members New York City Chief Investment Officer Seema R. Hingorani, Citigroup Bank Services Group Global Head of Public Sector Julie Monaco, American Bankers Association President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jeff L. Plagge, and Treasury Secretary Anthony Foxx). 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.

Holding an oregano seedling and soil, Calvin Riggleman is a Marine, served in Iraq, and now he serves his community farm fresh organic produce, and food products made by his Bigg Riggs Farm team, on Wednesday, June 24, 2015, in Hampshire County, West Virginia. Mr. Riggleman grew up on the family farm but it was his buddies in Iraq who helped him figure out how to make it a going concern -- transforming it from an orchard with roadside sales to a multidimensional farm with a value added food processing to make a wide range of condiment products such as apple butters, jams, sauces, and drink mixes, to name small selection of products for sales online, in community supported agriculture (CSA) operations, farmer’s markets and contracts with Whole Foods and others. Riggleman follows a family tradition, of farming in this area, that extends back to 1775 (the same year the USMC was born) and eight generations. The nearby, original family farm has been owned and operated for five generations. He has owned this farm for a few years and has several employees. Bigg Riggs Farm sells under the Homegrown for Heroes label. He is standing in front of the barn he displays and lights the U.S. national flag, for people to see from the U.S. 50 roadway. Farmers such as Mr. Riggleman may be eligible for support and services from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). New and beginning farmers are encouraged to contact the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in their county. USDA Service Centers are designed to be a single location where customers can access the services provided by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Rural Development agencies. The following web site will provide the address of a USDA Service Center and other Agency offices serving your area along with information on how to contact them. offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=us&agency=fsa 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.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Community Facility Grant of $45,500 providing the City of Hondo the ability to purchase two new Police Interceptor Utility (PIU) vehicles for Police Chief Captain Brian Valenzuela and fellow officers of the Hondo Police Department in Hondo, Texas, on December 5, 2017. Hondo PD is committed to maintaining a safe environment in order to protect the citizens of Hondo, Texas. The fleet of high-mileage police vehicles (mostly police cruiser / sedans) are used 24/7 in this rural region of Texas, 56 miles west of San Antonio. The older cruisers require a high level of maintenance to ensure quality service and reliable response times. These PIU vehicles are better suited for the diverse road ways from highways to rugged off-road areas in any weather and require less maintenance. Also seen are two other PIU vehicles that were purchased with a prior USDA grant. The new vehicles are at various stages of preparation for law enforcement duty. A new larger graphic design better identifies the newest Hondo Police Department vehicles. Lights, communication and other specialized equipment will soon be added to the two new vehicles. Hondo is in a rural region of Texas, 56 miles west of San Antonio, and has a population of 8,803. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small joins U.S. Senator Tom Carper and other community representatives to announce an $18.3M grant to help protect and preserve the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and Delaware River Basin in Chesapeake City, MD, on April 21, 2023. USDA Photo by Christopher Stewart.

Red onions 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.

Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small are led on a tour of Harvill's Produce by owner Εrnie Harvill and co-owner Jenny Harvill (Ernie's daughter) in Orlando, FL., on March 20, 2023.

For more than 65 years, Harvill's Produce has been an independently-owned-and-operated produce company in the Orlando area. The company was founded by Joseph Harvill and has been run by his son Ernie since 1975. Harvill's Produce has carefully developed a vast network of growers and suppliers nationwide for their produce. Harvill's Produce delivers produce six days a week to restaurants in greater Orlando. They also serve hotel chains, amusement parks, and food distributors in the region with a fleet of 23 trucks. (USDA photos by Val McMakin.)

Beets 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.

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.