USDA Latest

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced that USDA is awarding $74 million in grants to improve health care facilities (PDF, 321 KB) in rural towns across the Nation. These grants will help 143 rural health care organizations expand critical services for 3 million people in 37 states, Guam and Puerto Rico.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of nearly $8 million to support the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) Produce Prescription Program. The funding is part of USDA’s American Rescue Plan efforts and will be administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today that it will hold the second virtual USDA Food Loss and Waste Innovation Fair on September 14, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT. The fair will showcase the latest food loss and waste mitigation technologies, innovations and programs developed by USDA, academic institutions, local governments and businesses.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2022 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is extending the comment period for its proposed rule titled Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments for an additional 15 days through August 23, 2022. The proposed rule published in the Federal Register June 8, 2022, with comments originally due on or before August 8, 2022. USDA is accepting comments at www.regulations.gov.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2022 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has processed more than 255,000 applications for the new Emergency Relief Program (ERP). USDA has made approximately $6.1 billion, to date, in payments to commodity and specialty crop producers to help offset eligible losses from eligible 2020 and 2021 natural disasters.

WASHINGTON, August 4, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced that the Department will begin accepting applications on September 6 for funding to expand access to high-speed internet for millions of people in rural America nationwide, part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to investing in rural infrastructure and affordable high-speed internet for all.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2022 – Today, at an event in Lowndes County, Alabama, where a significant number of residents lack access to wastewater infrastructure, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative. The new initiative will be piloted in 11 communities across the country where residents lack basic wastewater management that is essential to protecting their […]

WASHINGTON, August 1, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing that it will be declaring Salmonella an adulterant in breaded and stuffed raw chicken products. “Food safety is at the heart of everything FSIS does,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “That mission will guide us as this important first step launches a broader initiative to reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry […]

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2022 – "President Biden and Congress have taken an important, historic step towards easing the burden of inflation on the American public and meeting the moment on climate. If passed, the Inflation Reduction Act will have a meaningful impact on the rural and agriculture communities we serve at The Department of Agriculture.