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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.
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.
Half Runner heirloom beans sold 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.
U.S. Marine Corps veteran Calvin Riggleman holds an oregano seedling and soil on Bigg Riggs farm in Hampshire County, WV on Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2015. Riggleman served in Iraq and serves his community farm fresh organic produce, and food products made by the Bigg Riggs Farm team. Riggleman grew up on the family farm but it was his comrades-in-arms from Iraq who helped him figure out how to make the farm productive, transforming an orchard with roadside sales to a multidimensional farm that provided value added food processing to make a wide range of condiment products such as apple butters, jams, sauces, and drink mixes for sale online. Bigg Riggs farm utilized community supported agriculture (CSA) operations, farmer’s markets and contracts with Whole Foods and others to improve the efficiency and productivity of the farm. Riggleman’s family has farmed in Hampshire County, WV since 1775, which is the same year the USMC was established. The original family farm has been owned and operated for five generations. Bigg Riggs Farm sells under the Homegrown for Heroes label and veteran farmers such as Riggleman may be eligible for support and services from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) New and Beginning Farmers program. Veteran farmers are encouraged to contact the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in their county. 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.
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.
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. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Departmental Administration (DM) Assistant Secretary Dr. Gregory Parham speaks at a meeting of the Rural Community College Alliance (RCCA) at USDA in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Feb.10, 2016. USDA and RCAA signed
a memorandum of understanding (MOU). USDA photo by Tom Witham.
Yolo Eco-Clean Cooperative (YECC) Cleaning Specialists Maria Fernandez (olive shirt), Delia Garcia (yellow shirt) and California Center for Cooperative Development (CCCD) Cooperative Facilitator Angelica Medina (tan vest and/or grey long sleeve) stop for a photo after cleaning a customer's home, on Jan. 4 2017, in Davis, California.
Medina supports the building of small business that are cooperatively owned. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is one of many organizations that award grants to businesses such as CCCD is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that promotes cooperatives and help them build their capabilities to address the economic and social needs of California’s communities. CCCD supports agricultural, arts and crafts, childcare, energy, housing, and a variety of worker-owned cooperative businesses with start-up, management, and other technical assistance. As businesses become self-sufficient, it’s members share in the rewards, decisions and responsibilities. They mix and use their own environmentally conscious cleaning products from proven traditional liquids and materials. The solutions provide healthy and safe results for clients, children, pets, and workers. Fernandez and Garcia are new and are employed by YECC. They hope to prove themselves and join the worker/owners of YECC. A steady income and flexible hours better provides the time and money for their families. USDA Media by Lance Cheung.
Children study in the public school, Luciliio Da Souza Reis in Juliana in the Amazon region of Brazil near Manaus. Photo: Julio Pantoja / World Bank
Photo ID: JPBR-1535-1-B World Bank
Manakintowne Specialty Growers, a 21-acre farm in Powhatan County, Virginia, on Friday, May 6, 2011. The farm where Jo Pendergraph, her family and team raise specialty produce for chefs and markets of Richmond, Charlottesville and Williamsburg, VA area. 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. As well as 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. 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, VA area. They also 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. VA area. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Secretary Xochitl Torres Small toured Austin Schulte’s family farm near Norway, Iowa, to announcement investments in rural Iowa to improve critical infrastructure and expand business, on February 1, 2023. USDA media by Cecilia Lynch.
Crispiano Moraes in his home in the Amazon jungle near Manaus, Brazil.
Photo: Julio Pantoja / World Bank
Photo ID: JPBR-1503-6-B World Bank
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announces a $956,076 emergency rural health care grant and talks with Parish of Richland Hospital leadership in Delhi, LA on Jan 31, 2023.
The meeting includes hospital CFO Jinger Greer, Town of Delhi Mayoe Jesse Washington, and state, county, and local leaders or their representatives.
Hospital Service District No 1-A of the Parish of Richmond will use a $956,076 Emergency Rural Health Care grant to purchase medical supplies and equipment, including telehealth equipment and training. This investment will support immediate healthcare needs, prepare for future pandemic events, and increase access to quality healthcare services to improve community health outcomes for rural residents in rural north Louisiana communities.
The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are committed to making sure that people who need it most, no matter where they live, have access to high-quality and reliable healthcare services.
For more information, please go to rural.gov and usda.gov.
USDA media by Valerie H McMakin.
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.
Chad Parker, Deputy Administrator, Cooperative Programs, Rural Development (RD), Rural Business Cooperative Service (RBCS), 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.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Farah Ahmad traveled to Des Moines on February 7, 2023, to speak at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. A sign promotes the summit. USDA photo by Cecilia R. Lynch.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Oklahoma State Director Ryan McMullen 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 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.
Reece Latron uses a tractor's mower attachment to carry baskets of greens harvested from Amy's Organic Garden in Charles City, VA, on Thursday, May 5, 2011, in preparation for a farmer's market tomorrow. The farm also 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.
12 January 2021, Santa Evelina, Quiche province, Guatemala - Isabela de la Cruz Medina, 22, harvests coffee cheeriest. She is a beneficiary of FAO's ^Nueva Generacion Cafetalera^ project, she has been working in coffee since she was a minor in her family's coffee field. She now owns her own coffee estate and works with her family.
Photo Credit: ©FAO/Santiago Billy
Bigg Riggs Farm products are sold at the Farmer's Daughter Market Butcher Store in Capon Bridge, WV on Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2015. Bigg Riggs Farm is owned by U.S. Marine Corps veteran Calvin Riggleman. Riggleman served in Iraq and serves his community farm fresh organic produce, and food products made by the Bigg Riggs Farm team. Riggleman grew up on the family farm but it was his comrades-in-arms from Iraq who helped him figure out how to make the farm productive, transforming an orchard with roadside sales to a multidimensional farm that provided value added food processing to make a wide range of condiment products such as apple butters, jams, sauces, and drink mixes for sale online. Bigg Riggs farm utilized community supported agriculture (CSA) operations, farmer’s markets and contracts with Whole Foods and others to improve the efficiency and productivity of the farm. Riggleman’s family has farmed in Hampshire County, WV since 1775, which is the same year the USMC was established. The original family farm has been owned and operated for five generations. Bigg Riggs Farm sells under the Homegrown for Heroes label and veteran farmers such as Riggleman may be eligible for support and services from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) New and Beginning Farmers program. Veteran farmers are encouraged to contact the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in their county. 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.
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.
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. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small toured William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa, on February 1, 2023. Under Secretary Torres Small will highlight USDA investments that help ensure our future health care workers have the resources they need. William Penn University is the recipient of two recent USDA investments through the Business and Industries Loan Guarantees CARES Act program. The Under Secretary and WPU President John Ottoman begin the tour. USDA media by Cecilia Lynch.
California Center for Cooperative Development (CCCD) Cooperative Facilitator, Seed Farmer, and Co-op Founder Mai Nguyen, at their seed farm operation, they grow Ethiopian Blue Tinge Emmer, Canus, Hollis, Marquis, and Fortuna wheat, as well as some chickpea and Hunan popping bean, near Petaluma, CA, on Dec. 30, 2017. California Center for Cooperative Development (CCCD) Cooperative Developer, Seed Farmer, and Co-op Founder Mai Nguyen at their farm operation, on a small experimental plot, where they grow Ethiopian Blue Tinge Emmer, Canus, Hollis, Marquis, and Fortuna wheat, as well as some chickpea and Hunan popping bean, near Petaluma, CA, on Dec. 30, 2017. These varieties haven’t been widely grown in California and little is known about how they fare as dry-farmed crops in these climes. Nguyen uses a cover crop of crimson clover to fix nitrogen and help the grains compete with the weeds. The varieties that thrive will be harvested for the next season of more seeds. Grown out, over multiple harvests, a supply of seed will be available to wheat producers for commercialization and then bought by local bakers and residents.
All of the heritage seeds at one point began as a teaspoon of seeds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) and were grown out. The NPGS is a collaborative effort to safeguard the genetic diversity of agriculturally important plants.
To help share the cost of farming, they started a cooperative of small-scale farmers in the area to buy farm and seed cleaning equipment.
Nguyen also authors a grain catalog tell the stories of various producers and lists the grains that seed farmers are producing each year. With this information, farmers can better source the next season’s seeds. To take that a step further, Mai leads the California Grain Campaign, an outreach effort held at farmers markets and public venues to encourage the supply goals for the increasing demand for locally grown heritage whole grains.
Nguyen’s work with CCCD supports the building of agricultural and worker-owned cooperative businesses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is one of many organizations that award grants to qualified businesses, that build other businesses. CCCD is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that does this by promoting cooperatives and helping them to build their capabilities to address the economic and social needs of California’s communities. The organization supports agricultural, childcare, utility, financial, housing, and other worker-owned cooperative businesses with start-up, management, and other technical assistance. As businesses become self-sufficient, its members share in the rewards, challenges, decisions and responsibilities.
Nguyen’s parents emigrated from Vietnam during and following the 1975 “Fall of Saigon.” Later, they met, married and had Mai. During their childhood in a refugee and immigrant community, they recall how families learned to cook and prepared available local foods, but still had a desire for foods that were part of their heritage from Southeast Asia. Family experience, community gardening, work in refugee camps and their degree in atmospheric physics, planted the seed for their career working with refugee and immigrant farmers to build their own cooperative businesses that produce Umeboshi apricots, jujube drink concentrate and heritage wheat for a wide range of customers. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Arsenic removal absorber vessels, at the Freer Water Control and Improvement District (FWCID) Arsenic Removal System Site, on Tuesday, June 18, 2013, in Freer, Texas.
FWCID benefits from the financial assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) to complete a two-phase approach to meeting the city’s water supply and safety needs, on Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Although, the naturally occurring arsenic levels have remained constant for more than a century, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safe level standards have established lower levels of arsenic to be safe for human consumption. To meet those levels FWCID approached USDA and was awarded a $986,000 loan for Phase I, to install two new water wells, each rated at 167 gallons per minute (creating a total of eight wells); 13,600 feet of well collection lines; and 15,000 linear feet of well control line to remotely control the well pumps and the 1,000,000 gallon holding tank at the well facility, which supplies water to the new Arsenic Removal System (Phase II). Previously, water was manually controlled by personnel who knew when and how long to manually opened and closed water valves or started well pumps to ensure holding tank levels were within operating levels during peek and slack times of the day. Phase II was a combination of a $1,832,000 loan and a $1,258,750 grant, which provided for the customized arsenic removal system, seen in these photos. The system includes a new 3,530 sp. ft. facility, on a .76-acre site, and houses the operations room, computer and power system, laboratory room, and pump systems. The entire operation can be monitored through a desktop computer interface system. The computer-controlled system ensures raw water is fed to the arsenic removal pump system, which works in sequence to maintain a constant pressure, when needed, to pump water through (blue) arsenic removal absorber vessels, and into ground storage tanks that feeds the residential and commercial needs of the city. Samples of water are periodically tested; and so far the arsenic levels have been below 1 part per billion (PPB), well under the 10 PPB limit. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
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.
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.
Aerial view of the landscape around Halimun Salak National Park, West Java, Indonesia.
Photo by Kate Evans/CIFOR
If you use one of our photos, please credit it accordingly and let us know. You can reach us through our Flickr account or at: cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org and m.edliadi@cgiar.org
Cattle graze on grass at the Tuckahoe Plantation, in Goochland County, VA area on Thursday, May 5, 2011. An electrified fence keep herd in the proper pastures where they graze on the grass and leave nutrient rich manure to revitalize the soil, enhancing regrowth. The plantation was the boyhood home of President Thomas Jefferson from 1745 until 1752, today it is a working farm with cattle, sheep, chickens and rabbits supplying meats to Fall Line Farms a local food hub. Fall Line Farms 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 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.
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.
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.
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 (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.
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.
Aerial view of the landscape around Halimun Salak National Park, West Java, Indonesia.
Photo by Kate Evans/CIFOR
If you use one of our photos, please credit it accordingly and let us know. You can reach us through our Flickr account or at: cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org and m.edliadi@cgiar.org
Organic shallots and garlic 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.
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.
Tuscarora Organic Growers (TOG) drivers Ray Smith pauses for a moment during a deliver organic produce 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 in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday Aug 2, 2016. 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.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small toured Mahaska Health, a hospital in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and participated in a roundtable discussion to highlight USDA investments in rural healthcare on February 1, 2023. The hospital has received several USDA investments in recent years. A sign denotes the hospital nursery. USDA media by Cecilia Lynch.