Secretary Vilsack visited the Stoltzfus’ Pennwood Dairy Farms on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 to announce the United States Department of Agriculture’s energy efficiency programs and announced a new effort to help rural consumers make affordable, energy-efficient improvements to their homes and businesses. USDA photo by Bob Nichols.
On a muggy day in July, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited a Pennsylvania dairy farm that is using an anaerobic digester to convert manure into electricity and high quality bedding, cutting energy costs and providing a resting area for more contented cows. The digester, which went on-line a year ago, was funded in part with the support of USDA Rural Development. Read more »
A grader works on preparing Vian, Oklahoma’s new track, funded in part through USDA’s Community Facilities Program.
As construction gets underway, Vian, Oklahoma residents eagerly await the completion of their new regulation size track and fitness facility.
This small rural community located in eastern Sequoyah County hopes to encourage fitness and healthy living with the new facility, funded in part by USDA Rural Development in partnership with other agencies. Read more »
Pictured standing left to right: Sonya Lawrence – homeowner; Rural Development Area Specialist Roxanne Woodring; Rural Development Area Director Bruce Jones; Lincoln and Devola Bird and family - homeowners; JC Crawford - Native Homes (Contractor); Dustin LaFromboise and family – homeowners; Jasmin Zetina and family – homeowners; Homes Are Possible, Inc. Executive Director Jeff Mitchell; kneeling left to right: family of homeowner Sonya Lawrence (2 children kneeling at left); Angie Johnson - SWO Homeowner Program; Christina Eberhart - homeowner; Rural Development Area Specialist Janell Telin; and Robert LaCroix and family – homeowners….five of the families will have homes in the subdivision of Long Hollow on the SWO reservation and one family will have a home in Watertown.
I was honored to attend the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Annual Homebuyers Fair on June 20, 2012 in Sisseton, South Dakota. Although the previous evening and early morning rain saturated the ground, it didn’t stop the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate from having a successful event. June is homeownership month, and USDA Rural Development was on-site at the fair to remind rural residents of the opportunities to purchase, repair and refinance homes in rural areas. Read more »
Jennifer Witting, nurse at Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital in Laurium, Michigan, with newly installed telemedicine equipment. The equipment enables nurses and doctors at Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital to consult specialists at Aspirus Hospital in Wausau, Wis. while with their patients.
June is Dairy Month and Wisconsin is a national leader in agricultural production with dairy farming being the number one agricultural activity in the State. Wisconsin has more than 76,000 farms dotting its rural landscape, supporting communities, families and businesses of all size.
Critical to the future of rural Wisconsin is modern infrastructure, state of the art technologies, and advanced education opportunities. Read more »
GE90-115B, the largest and most powerful engine in the world. GE90-115B and GE90-110B engines are the only engine powering the Boeing 777-200LR and the 777-300ER twin-jet aircraft.
GE Aviation is collaborating with USDA Rural Development, the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI), air carriers and producer groups to investigate opportunities for an Ohio or Midwest-regional approach to providing renewable-jet fuel in support of production engine testing at GE Aviation’s sprawling Cincinnati-area facilities. GE Aviation anticipates purchasing up to 5 million gallons of renewable-jet fuel beginning in 2015. Read more »
Tammye Treviño, USDA Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Administrator sponsored Librarian Forum at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, earlier this month.
Eighty nine librarians participated in the activity. Most of them work for the State & Municipal government, others for non-profit & faith based organizations. They all agreed that most of the libraries in Puerto Rico are in need of new equipments, books, and computers. In some cases the construction of a new library will be the best alternative.
Ms. Treviño explained the Library Initiative Program has a $100 million budget for the nation. She urged the librarians to submit their proposal before June 30, 2010. The reason is that if one state will not use the funds, other states could have access to them.
The meeting was attended by José Otero-García, USDA Rural Development State Director for Puerto Rico and Nereida Rodríguez, Community Program Director. The diversity of issues discussed was amazing and each librarian had a success story to tell. The activity was covered by El Nuevo Día Newspaper.
Written by Miguel A. Ramírez Public Affairs Coordinator USDA Rural Development, Puerto Rico
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