Department of Agriculture
WASHINGTON — The Department of Agriculture is making $23 million in grant funding available to support processing capacity expansion, on-farm improvements and technical assistance services to producers through the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives. Applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov... Read More
WASHINGTON — The New Democrat Coalition has thrown its support behind recent rule changes adopted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will help provide millions more children with school meals. “Last year, as part of the New Democrat Coalition’s... Read More
ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urged Congress on Thursday to use the upcoming farm bill reauthorization as an opportunity to encourage America’s farmers to diversify and “create multiple profit centers” in their farming operations. Speaking at the... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has nominated Xochitl Torres Small to serve as deputy secretary of Agriculture. Small currently serves as the under secretary for rural development. Her promotion comes as the department prepares to enter into negotiations with Congress... Read More
WASHINGTON — Twenty nationally recognized public health and nutrition experts have been tapped by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to help draft the nation’s revised dietary guidelines. The first meeting of the new Dietary Guidelines... Read More
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently working to implement a new framework aimed at transforming food systems, especially for underserved communities. “It’s a new way of thinking about how to transform the food system to meet the... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration made two significant moves aimed at supporting the biofuel industry. The first of these moves came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which announced on Friday that it will provide $700 million to help lower... Read More
WASHINGTON — More than two dozen members of Congress are urging Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to ensure the funds set aside for rural broadband expansion make it to the most rural of areas. The bipartisan letter urging the department... Read More
WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, D-N.M., makes no effort to hide her enthusiasm for her current job, undersecretary for rural development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Six months after her confirmation, the Democrat from Las Cruces, New... Read More
The United Nations Environment Program released the 2021 Food Waste Index Report on Thursday, the most comprehensive data on food waste across 54 countries. The report suggests that food waste is a significant problem, which data could help policymakers address. ... Read More
WASHINGTON — Just over a week after he was confirmed as head of the United States Department of Agriculture for the second time, Tom Vilsack doubled down on his efforts to solve both food and nutrition insecurity around the nation. ... Read More
New federal regulations would make it harder for hemp growers to prove their plants are not marijuana, in what could be a major setback to a promising industry legalized just two years ago, farmers and state officials say. The U.S.... Read More
