PUBLICATIONS
From Facebook to Snapchat, rural businesses are exploring how to use social media to improve their customer’s experience and expand their customer base. Over the last eight years, USDA and the Obama Administration have partnered with rural communities to build more opportunities that support rural small business owners, farmers and ranchers through applied research.
The prevalence of food insecurity in the United States declined from 14.0 percent of households in 2014 to 12.7 percent of households in 2015. Some types of households saw greater declines than others. Food insecurity for both Non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics dropped from 2014 to 2015: the former declined from 26.1 to 21.5 percent, while the latter from 22.4 to 19.1 percent. Households with children younger than 18 saw a significant decline in food insecurity—from 19.2 percent in 2014 to 16.6 percent in 2015. Among these households, those headed by single mothers saw their food insecurity prevalence drop from 35.3 percent to 30.3 percent. The prevalence of food insecurity for households with children under 6 years old dropped from 19.9 to 16.9 percent as well.
The majority of Americans say new skills and training are critical to their future job success and to remain competitive in changing workplaces, according to a new report issued by the Pew Research Center in association with the Markle Foundation. This was particularly true for individuals working in STEM occupations, where roughly two-thirds of employed adults responded that ongoing training and skills development would be essential to their development. The State of American Jobs combines an analysis of government economic data with a survey of more than 5,000 adults conducted during the summer of 2016. The report includes: analysis on trends in job and wage growth by occupations; public assessments of the job situation and worker readiness; views on job satisfaction; the types of skills required for work; and, public views about the value of college education. Read more...
EVENTS/LEARNING
- October is National Cooperative Month!
As part of this month’s celebration, USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) is holding a series of training and informational webinars to showcase the many important ways cooperatives empower our daily lives. For the full calendar of events for Co-op Month, visit http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/cooperative-programs, or to request special accommodations, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
2-3:15 pm EST Facilitator: Scott Cessarich, RBS Cooperative Programs
Speakers: Jesus Lucero, USA Cooperative Youth Council, Hnin Hnin, Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive, and Morgan Crawford, North American Students of Cooperation
Webinar/Audio: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/57tvjzrooxe4&eom
10:30 am-12 pm EST Facilitator: Claudette Fernandez, RBS Cooperative Programs / Community Economic Development
(Whitten Bldg - 107A) Speakers: Cornelius Blanding, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Mai Nguyen, California Center for Cooperative Development, and Nikki Marin Baena, Southern Reparations Loan Fund
Webinar/Audio: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/8gljluzevxt8&eom
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program helps fund organizations implementing programs throughout the United States that train beginning farmers and ranchers, through workshops, educational teams, training and technical assistance. Eligible applicants include collaborative state, tribal, local or regionally-based networks or partnerships of public or private entities such as state cooperative extension services, community-based organizations, colleges or universities; and other organizations providing services to beginning farmers and ranchers. NIFA will host a free informational webinar for interested applicants on Oct. 26 from 1-3 p.m. EST.
- Webinar Series Will Get You Ready and Set to “GO” on a Community Food Sovereignty Assessment
First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) has scheduled a new series of four free First Nations Knowledge webinars that will help Native organizations and tribal communities get ready and set to “GO” on conducting a Community Food Sovereignty Assessment, with the last in the series focusing on moving forward with action planning after the assessment. Please register for each webinar individually:
- November 15, 2016 @ 1:00 p.m. MST
"Set! Designing your Community Food Sovereignty Assessment"
Identifying priority issues for focus in the CFSA; designing the assessment tools, methods and questions; publicizing the work and setting up logistics for success. An organization or tribe will share experiences and best practices. Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7049058483607326210
- December 13, 2016 @ 1:00 p.m. MST
"Go! Conducting Your Community Food Sovereignty Assessment"
Conducting the assessment; analyzing the data; dissemination and confidentiality of data; how to use data for strategic/project planning and grant proposals; how to use data for policy development. An organization or tribe will share experiences and best practices. Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3422440325667269378
- January 17, 2017 @ 1:00 p.m. MST
"Moving Forward! Community-Based Policy and Action Plans"
Developing action plans from the CFSA data; experience gained through community engagement during the CFSA. This webinar will highlight success stories from two organizations or tribes. Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2798412501323018754
- White House Rural Council Innovation Exchange
We invite you to join a White House Rural Council Innovation Exchange for a discussion with rural experts on the unique challenges and opportunities rural communities face and the innovative and strategic approaches that have led to successful outcomes in small towns across America. While the presentation will focus on Federal engagements with rural and tribal communities, staff working with resource-strained or high-need urban and suburban communities are encouraged to attend as several strategies presented will be transferrable.
- Logistics: Tuesday, October 25th from 1:30pm-2:30pm EST. Call-in: (877) 369-5243; Code: 0964758#. Please respond to this calendar invite to RSVP.
- Format: Agency presentations followed by audience Q&A. Participants are encouraged to submit questions and/or your own rural success stories in advance to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
- Presenters:
Bert Wyman, White House Rural Council
Stephanie Bertaina, Office of Sustainable Communities, EPA
Claudette Fernandez, Community Economic Development, USDA
Max Finberg, AmeriCorps VISTA, CNCS
Jennifer Hughes, National Endowment for the Arts
Jason Walsh, White House Domestic Policy Council
- Pre-reading: In advance of this session, we invite you to read the White House Rural Council’s Rural Strategies that Work memorandum, released earlier this month. Authored by the Chair of the White House Rural Council and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, OMB Director Donovan, Domestic Policy Council Director Muñoz and National Economic Council Director Zients, the memo details how agencies have addressed rural challenges such as limited institutional capacity, geographic isolation, low population density and persistent poverty.
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) staff at NIFA will give a webinar to present information for the FY17 Request for Applications. The webinars are for applicants and their partners involved in networks and collaborations that offer education, training and technical assistance to new farmers. October 26, 2016 | 2-3:30 PM (ET)
This webinar is hosted by the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project as part of a BFRDP Education Enhancement Team. There are resources and tools to support inexperienced applicants with the application process. Visit New Entry’s BFRDP Assistance Page at https://nesfp.org/BFRDP for more information and assistance from this project.
