Category: USDA

USDA Webinar: Mental Health in the Rural Workplace, Tuesday, May 21

May 20, 2024

USDA Webinar: Mental Health in the Rural Workplace, Tuesday, May 21

For Mental Health Awareness Month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hosts experts sharing resources and experiences supporting employers and employees in rural workplaces.

Speakers from Recovery Friendly Workplace – New Hampshire, American Farm Bureau Federation, and Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention will share information about how their programs and resources can support employers’ and employees; mental health in rural workplaces.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, May 21, 1:30 p.m. ET

Register Here

USDA Invests Connecting Rural America to High-Speed Internet

August 23, 2023

USDA Invests Connecting Rural America to High-Speed Internet

On August 21, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and Missouri State Director Kyle Wilkens announced $76 million in grants and loans to connect thousands of rural residents, farmers, and business owners across rural Missouri to affordable high-speed internet through the ReConnect Program, funded by President Biden’s Infrastructure Law. This funding opportunity is designed to fund high-speed internet projects in the most rural, remote, underserved, and unserved communities.

“I am excited to announce that Missouri is receiving nearly $76 million from the ReConnect program as part of President Biden’s Investing in America to rebuild the economy,” Wilkens said. “Access to high-speed internet is crucial to rural communities in Missouri. These projects will provide vital opportunities to bring local business to global markets, connect rural communities to healthcare without a long drive into the nearest city, and offers new tools for farmers and ranchers to expand their business. Finally, these projects are crucial for helping to bring our younger generations back home after college to continue the family legacy.”

Today’s investments will help to increase access and usage of broadband infrastructure in rural areas lead to growing jobs, population growth, and higher rates of new business opportunities for rural businesses, agricultural producers, digital skills, online education, and job search opportunities for rural residents. With the ReConnect program, many rural America will have the benefit of having high-speed internet.

Missouri’s three projects in this announcement include:

  • Northeast Missouri Rural Telephone Company is receiving a $8.8 million loan to benefit 1,188 people, 15 businesses and 256 farms in Schuyler and Scotland counties in Missouri.
  • Mountain View Rural Fiber LLC is receiving a $24.8 million loan to benefit 5,519 people, 298 businesses, 46 farms and 29 educational facilities in Howell, Shannon, and Texas counties in Missouri.
  • Aptitude Internet LLC is receiving a $42.3 million grant to benefit 18,982 people, 480 businesses, 1,452 farms and 15 educational facilities in Crawford, Franklin, Gasconade, Maries, Osage and Phelps counties in Missouri.

Background: ReConnect Program  

Applicants to ReConnect Program funding must serve a rural area that lacks access to service at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload. Applicants must also commit to building facilities capable of providing high-speed internet service with speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to every location in the proposed service area. Additionally, to ensure that rural households that need internet service can afford it, all awardees will be required to apply to participate in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP offers a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service to qualifying low-income households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal Lands.

For more information about, please visit: ReConnect Loan and Grant Program | USDA

Contact USDA Rural Development

Information on programs available through USDA Rural Development is available by visiting www.rd.usda.gov/mo, by calling (573) 876-0976, or by emailing RDMissouri@usda.gov. Stay current by following @RD_Missouri on Twitter.

USDA Rural Development has 25 offices across the state to serve the 2.2 million residents living in rural Missouri. Office locations include a state office in Columbia, along with local offices in Butler, Charleston, Chillicothe, Clinton, Dexter, Eldon, Farmington, Higginsville, Houston, Kennett, Kirksville, Maryville, Mexico, Moberly, Neosho, New London, Poplar Bluff, Richmond, Rolla, Sedalia, Springfield, St. Joseph, Troy, and West Plains.

If you’d like to subscribe to Missouri USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

 

USDA Helps Expand Access to Rural Health Care in Missouri

July 31, 2023

USDA Helps Expand Access to Rural Health Care in Missouri

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Missouri Kyle Wilkens announced that USDA is expanding access to health care for more than 102,000 people living in rural Missouri through the Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program.

“Investments in rural health care are absolutely invaluable,” Wilkens said. “Access to affordable, state-of-the-art health care can be challenging to provide in rural areas of our state, and investments made through USDA’s Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program help to bridge that gap.”

Big Springs Medical Association Inc., with support from the Rural Maternity and Obstetric Management – Southeast Missouri Partnership consortium, will use an $8.4 million grant to construct a three-story facility to house:

  • Obstetrics
  • Maternal fetal medicine
  • Pediatric specialists
  • Dentistry
  • Behavioral health
  • Substance abuse disorder
  • Community health and more.

This centralized hub will allow these departments to better connect with satellite clinics across the state and provide a central location for in-house support services to provide high-quality patient care.

This investment will help address regional rural health care challenges by better assisting some of the most remote areas of the state. These solutions will build a stronger, more sustainable rural health care system for the state’s small towns and communities.

Background: Emergency Rural Health Care Grants

Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021 to deliver immediate economic relief to people impacted by the pandemic. Within months after the Act’s passage, USDA responded quickly by making this funding available to ensure the long-term availability of rural health care services.

In August 2021, USDA made the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants available through the American Rescue Plan Act to help rural health care facilities, tribes and communities expand access to health care services and nutrition assistance.

The assistance is helping provide immediate relief to support rural hospitals, health care clinics and local communities. USDA is administering the funds through Rural Development’s Community Facilities Program, which helps residents in rural areas build or improve essential community infrastructure and purchase or replace equipment needed for essential community services.

More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding.

Eligible applicants include:

  • Municipalities,
  • Public bodies
  • Nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes.

Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.

To learn more about Community Facilities Program funding opportunities, contact your local USDA Rural Development office. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants (PDF, 669 KB) for a detailed overview of the application process.

Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas.

Contact USDA Rural Development

Information on programs available through USDA Rural Development is available by visiting www.rd.usda.gov/mo, by calling (573) 876-0976, or by emailing RDMissouri@usda.gov. Stay current by following @RD_Missouri on Twitter.

USDA Rural Development has 25 offices across the state to serve the 2.2 million residents living in rural Missouri. Office locations include a state office in Columbia, along with local offices in Butler, Charleston, Chillicothe, Clinton, Dexter, Eldon, Farmington, Higginsville, Houston, Kennett, Kirksville, Maryville, Mexico, Moberly, Neosho, New London, Poplar Bluff, Richmond, Rolla, Sedalia, Springfield, St. Joseph, Troy, and West Plains.

Emergency Rural Health Care Grants

Community Facilities Programs

Free Meals are Being Served to Children at Hundreds of Locations in Missouri

June 20, 2023

Free Meals are Being Served to Children at Hundreds of Locations in Missouri

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Summer Food Service Program is designed to provide breakfast, lunch, suppers and/or snacks to children living in eligible areas during the summer months and during times of public emergencies, when children do not have access to free or reduced-price meals at school. An online interactive map is provided to help families in Missouri find out where their children can receive free meals this summer.

Community organizations serve the meals at schools, churches, parks, swimming pools, YMCA facilities, Boys and Girls Clubs, and other spots where children gather when school is not in session. The meals are provided to all children that attend the meal service location. Children do not have to register and there is no fee to participate in the program.

The map and more information about the Summer Food Service Program can be found at health.mo.gov/sfsp. For families without access to the internet, summer meal sites in the area can also be found by texting the phrase “Summer Meals” to the text number 914-342-7744.

Meals will be served to children age 18 and under. They are also provided to individuals age 18 to 21 that have been determined by a state or local educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who participate in an established school program for the mentally or physically disabled.

Funding for the Summer Food Service Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

More information about the Summer Food Service Program is available online at health.mo.gov/sfsp or by telephone at 888-435-1464 (toll-free). Individuals who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or have a speech disability can dial 711 or 1-800-735-2966. Community organizations that would like to become sponsors may also email the Summer Food Service Program at sfsp@health.mo.gov or write to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Summer Food Service Program, P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102 for more information.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

USDA Announces Over $84 Million to Connect people in Rural Missouri to High-Speed Internet

June 16, 2023

USDA Announces Over $84 Million to Connect people in Rural Missouri to High-Speed Internet

On June 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Missouri Kyle Wilkens announced $84.6 million in grants and loans to connect thousands of rural residents, farmers and business owners in rural Missouri to reliable, affordable high-speed internet.

“The ReConnect program helps to build high-speed internet infrastructure connecting small business owners to customers and markets in other parts of the state, around the country, and worldwide,” said Wilkens. “It also expands educational opportunities for students and enables rural households to access medical care, particularly to specialists, without leaving their homes. For too long many rural communities in Missouri have been left out of the digital economy. High-speed internet is now the lynch pin for rural communities to grow. For farmers in rural communities, a fast-growing market of smart technology designed specifically for agriculture can give them real-time access to vital information from sensors placed around their land holdings. The ReConnect program is allowing our rural communities and producers to keep up with the ever-evolving need for high-speed internet.

Under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $65 billion to connect everyone to high-speed internet through the Internet for All initiative. USDA is connecting more people to high-speed internet in this fourth funding round of the ReConnect Program. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department has invested in 142 ReConnect projects that will bring high-speed internet access to 314,000 rural Americans.

Investment highlights include:

  • Goodman Telephone Company Inc. will connect nearly 7,000 people, 206 farms, 140 businesses and two educational facilities to high-speed internet in McDonald and Newton counties.
  • The Seneca Telephone Company will connect nearly 7,000 people, 240 farms, 178 businesses and 12 educational facilities to high-speed internet in McDonald and Newton counties.
  • Ozark Telephone Company will connect nearly 7,000 people, 188 farms, 171 businesses, and six educational facilities to high-speed internet in McDonald County, Missouri and Benton County, Arkansas.

Today’s investments in Missouri are in coordination with the recent announcement made by U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, that highlights $714 million in USDA investments in 19 states:

  • Alaska
  • Arkansas
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Georgia
  • Idaho
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • New Mexico
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Utah
  • Washington

For more information, please view a full listing of projects.

Applicants to ReConnect Program funding must:

  • Serve a rural area that lacks access to service at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload
  • Applicants must also commit to building facilities capable of providing high-speed internet service with speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to every location in the proposed service area
  • Additionally, to ensure that rural households that need internet service can afford it, all awardees will be required to apply to participate in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP offers a discount of up to $30 per month towards internet service to qualifying low-income households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal Lands.

For assistance with or questions regarding any of USDA’s high-speed internet programs, please contact a Missouri General Field Representative.

Contact USDA Rural Development:

Information on programs available through USDA Rural Development is available by visiting www.rd.usda.gov/mo

Call (573) 876-0976

Email: RDMissouri@usda.gov.

If you’d like to subscribe to Missouri USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery subscriber page.

Safety in Agriculture for Youth

May 30, 2023

Safety in Agriculture for Youth

Safety in Agriculture for Youth (SAY) is a grant project funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a sustainable and accessible national clearinghouse for agricultural safety and health curriculum for youth. For the funding period of 2021-2025, the SAY Project now consists of three funded projects that each focus on a different aspect of youth farm safety.

New Resources:

Click here to view Farm Youth Safety Video

USDA Invests $24,500 to Purchase Critical Public Safety Equipment in Rural Missouri

May 15, 2023

USDA Invests $24,500 to Purchase Critical Public Safety Equipment in Rural Missouri

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Missouri Kyle Wilkens today announced $24,500 in grant funding through USDA’s Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant program.

“Every investment that we make here at Rural Development impacts the growth and economic sustainability of our great state’s rural communities,” Wilkens said. “USDA strives to meet the unique needs of every rural town and city – and no two communities are alike. As long as we can continue to be a part of the investment to address those needs, we are one step closer to building a stronger and more resilient rural Missouri and America.”

With a population of just over 3,200 residents, the city ‘defined less by boundaries on a map than by the sense of shared values [their] residents hold dear, were having maintenance issues with their existing fleet of law enforcement vehicles due to high mileage. Thanks to a partnership with USDA and grant financing through the Community Facilities program, the city was able to purchase four new vehicles that will to ensure local law enforcement is able to continue to providing efficient public safety services while also keeping law enforcement providers safe enroute.

This investment reflects the many ways that USDA Rural Development’s programs can help rural areas address the unique needs of their individual and surrounding communities to help rural America build back better.

Background

USDA’s Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program helps residents in rural areas build or improve essential community infrastructure and purchase or replace equipment needed for essential community services.

More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.

To learn more about Community Facilities Program funding opportunities, contact your local USDA Rural Development office. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants (PDF, 669 KB) for a detailed overview of the application process.

Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas.

Contact USDA Rural Development

Information on programs available through USDA Rural Development is available by visiting www.rd.usda.gov/mo, by calling (573) 876-0976, or by emailing RDMissouri@usda.gov. Stay current by following @RD_Missouri on Twitter.

USDA Rural Development has 25 offices across the state to serve the 2.2 million residents living in rural Missouri. Office locations include a state office in Columbia, along with local offices in Butler, Charleston, Chillicothe, Clinton, Dexter, Eldon, Farmington, Higginsville, Houston, Kennett, Kirksville, Maryville, Mexico, Moberly, Neosho, New London, Poplar Bluff, Richmond, Rolla, Sedalia, Springfield, St. Joseph, Troy, and West Plains.

 

USDA Seeks Applications for Grants to Build Community-Oriented High-Speed Internet Networks for People in Rural Areas

May 2, 2023

USDA Seeks Applications for Grants to Build Community-Oriented High-Speed Internet Networks for People in Rural Areas

USDA is accepting applications for grants to build community-oriented, high-speed internet networks for people in rural areas.

The Department is making up to $79 million in grants available under the Community Connect program. Recipients may use the funds to establish high-speed internet networks that will foster economic growth and deliver enhanced educational, health care and public safety benefits.

Eligible applicants:

  • State and local governments
  • Federally recognized Tribes
  • Nonprofits
  • For-profit corporations and limited liability companies.

USDA does not provide funding directly to individuals under this program.

If you need assistance with an application or a question, please contact Telecommunications Field Staff Branch Chief

Christopher Collins at: chris.collins@usda.gov

(573) 208-0574

View the full announcement here.

View the Funding Opportunity Announcement

Apply here

USDA Seeks Applications for Technical Assistance Grants – Expand Access to Safe, Affordable and Equitable Housing for People in Rural America

May 9, 2023

USDA Seeks Applications for Technical Assistance Grants – Expand Access to Safe, Affordable and Equitable Housing for People in Rural America

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, has announced that the Department is accepting applications for technical assistance grants to preserve rental housing and expand access to safe, affordable and equitable housing for people in rural America.

USDA is making available $7.9 million in funding through its Rural Housing Service (RHS) and through two Multifamily Housing (MFH) Technical Assistance grant programs: the Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance (NP TA) Grant Program and the Off-Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance (Off-FLH TA) Grant Program. This funding is available for eligible technical assistance providers seeking grants to provide technical assistance services to qualified applicants.

There is $6.9 million in grants available through the NP TA Grant Program. The program awards grants to eligible nonprofit organizations and public housing authorities (PHAs) to provide technical assistance and other services to enable affordable housing preservation through the transfer of MFH Direct Loan properties from current owners to nonprofits or PHAs.

Eligible grantees:

  • Public and private nonprofit organizations
  • Public Health Agencies (PHAs)
  • Tribal housing nonprofits
  • Tribally designated housing entities.

Another $1 million in grants will be available for eligible nonprofits through the Off-FLH TA Grant Program. This program awards grants to nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance to applicants for Off-FLH loans and grants. These grants are used to increase the availability of affordable, decent housing for farm laborers.

Available funding amounts for the technical assistance programs may also be found here.

Minimum Award amounts:

  • Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance – $100,000
  • Off-Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance – $500,000

Maximum award amounts:

  • Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance – $500,000
  • Off-Farm Housing Technical Assistance – $250,000

Deadline to submit applications: July 3, 2023, Noon ET

For additional information see page 28469 of the Federal Register

To learn more, read full Stakeholder Announcement.

General questions should be directed to:

Stephanie Vergin, Policy Advisor

Production and Preservation Division

Multi-Family Housing

United States Department of Agriculture

NPTA.RFP@usda.gov or

RD.FLHTA@usda.gov

 

USDA Mental Health Awareness Month Workshop Series Starts in May

May 2, 2023

USDA Mental Health Awareness Month Workshop Series Starts in May

You’re invited to the USDA Mental Health Awareness Month Workshop Series taking place on Tuesdays starting May 9 through June 6, 2023 from 2:00-3:30pm ET. The workshop series convenes farmers and ranchers, faith leaders, rural health providers, USDA employees, and Federal, state, and university partners to dialogue and discuss mental health challenges, stressors, and the resources and services available to address them. Click here and see below for more information and to register.  

Farm Stress and Suicide Prevention: Data, Challenges, and Opportunities co-hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation
Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Register

This session provides context for the issue of farm stress and suicide by focusing on available data, challenges, and opportunities for farm stress researchers, practitioners, and service providers. Panelists include the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the American Farm Bureau Federation, Farm Aid, and others to discuss the state of the field and offer insights into their respective partner programs, resources, and emergent needs.

Veteran’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Workshop
Tuesday, May 16, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Register

Rural Veterans experience a significantly increased risk of suicide. In this workshop, you will learn how to act with care and compassion if you encounter a Veteran who is in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Rural Mental Health Matters: Challenges, Opportunities & Resources for Communities cohosted by the National Association of Behavioral Health and Development Disability Directors
Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Register

This session focuses on the resources and tools that are available in rural places, where over 60% of Americans live in mental health provider shortage areas. Speakers will examine current programs focused on giving rural and frontier communities the tools they need to thrive through creative problem solving. With perspectives rooted in rural services, behavioral health, and technology, the presentations and follow-on conversation will explore the importance of increasing the efficiency of providers in rural areas and other solutions, to challenges that rural communities face to ensure community wellbeing and economic prosperity.

Farm Stress and Suicide: Faith, Place, and Community Health
Tuesday, May 30, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Register

This session provides an overview of the USDA Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and highlights the challenges faced by many Americans during Mental Health Awareness Month. A training on farm stress, health and wellbeing will be provided by The Well Church Initiative of Texas A&M Extension, to discuss and highlight tools and resources available to faith and community-based organizations as they support their congregants and communities.

LGBTQ+ Mental Health in Rural Communities
Tuesday, June 6, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Register

This session will focus on the lived experienced of LGBTQ+ identifying folks in rural communities across the country. Discussion and dialogue will focus on mental health, the relationship to stress, and more.

These meetings will be conducted virtually using Zoom.gov. A link to the workshop will be provided upon registration; please contact center@usda.gov with any questions.