Thousands of schools, farmers and food pantries in the Midwest and Great Plains planned on federal dollars over the next year to support local food purchases. And then the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut the programs.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development has provided billions of dollars each year to small towns, farmers and businesses.
Certified Naturally Grown offers farmers a cheaper and less time-consuming option to communicate how they produce their food. But terms like “natural” on food labels can be confusing for consumers.
The cancellation of two programs will affect more than $1 billion in expected funding this year. Food advocates worry the cuts are coming when other federal food programs are at risk.
The Trump administration’s tariff announcements this week are bringing uncertainty to farmers going into planting season. Farm groups warn that retaliatory tariffs will add an additional “burden” to U.S. producers.
Farmers, nonprofits and state agencies received almost $3 billion in grants from the Inflation Reduction Act in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. But recent federal funding freezes have recipients concerned they won’t end up receiving money.
Missouri’s 2025 state budget includes less than a third of the federal funding the state received for Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program grants. More than a dozen producers with selected projects are without funding for now. The day Emily Wright expected to hear whether her vegetable and flower farm in mid-Missouri would receive grant funding
Documentation status, language barriers and lack of information can all create barriers for immigrants to access federal grants. Now a number of organizations are stepping in to provide direct support.
An environmental activist group charges that many “climate smart” farming practices recently added to a list for U.S. Department of Agriculture funding are not yet proven. The Environmental Working Group says funding from the Inflation Reduction Act should not be used to pay farmers for using the practices, until there is more evidence that they work.
Farmers can apply for emergency loans after tornadoes and drought last spring.
Take a look at the back of the cans and boxes in your cupboards and you’re likely to see some that say “contains bioengineered food ingredients.” A year ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began mandating labeling for foods that are genetically modified or contain GMO ingredients. The national standard was endorsed by some farm
CHAMPAIGN — Del Jacobs likes almost everything about her job. As a SNAP-Ed community worker in Illinois, she likes getting to know the regulars at local food pantries and teaching them about healthy eating on a budget. She likes working with children, especially since she doesn’t have any kids of her own. What she doesn’t
WASHINGTON D.C. — For the first time since the Nixon administration, the White House will hold a conference on hunger, nutrition and health, bringing together advocates, lawmakers and experts to come up with strategies to tackle food insecurity and diet-related health issues. The conference comes after a spike in food insecurity rates across the country
There aren’t any definite numbers about how many farmers belong to the LGBTQ community in the U.S, but many are making a point to become more visible in their rural communities. COGGON, Iowa — Growing up on her family’s farm in Coggon, Iowa, Shae Pesek couldn’t envision being able to have the life she wanted
HOUSTON, Mo. — A town of 1,000 people feels like a rural place to someone from Chicago. To a person living in a town of 200 people, that population of 1,000 feels almost urban. But what the government defines as rural determines tens of billions of dollars a year in spending aimed at propping up