Blog Posts

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of approximately $3 million in competitive grant funds to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through collaborative, multi-state projects that address the following regional or national level specialty crop issues: food safety; plant pests and disease; research; crop-specific common issues; and marketing and promotion. Read more »

Media Projects: Development and Production Grants support film, television, and radio projects for general audiences that encourage active engagement with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Read more »

This grant program supports: (1) training students for Master's and doctoral degrees in food, agricultural and natural resource sciences, and; (2) Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) for eligible USDA NNF beneficiaries. Awards are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that engage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees in USDA mission areas. Applicants provide clarity about the philosophy of their graduate training, and relevance to USDA mission sciences, NIFA priorities and national science education policies and statistics. Applications are being solicited from institutions that confer a graduate degree in at least one of the following Targeted Expertise Shortage Areas: 1) animal and plant production; 2) forest resources; 3) agricultural educators and communicators; 4) agricultural management and economics; 5) food science and human nutrition; 6) sciences for agricultural biosecurity; and 7) training in integrative biosciences for sustainable food and agricultural systems. Read more »

The following is an op-ed by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree For the last few years, I’ve had the chance to visit important sites of the civil rights movement with one of its leaders, my colleague Congressman John Lewis. One of the most impactful stops was the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. After hearing a sermon in the church, we went down the narrow steps to a place many of us ... Read more »

Loans and grants to support business expansion, create jobs and increase economic opportunities in rural communities. Read more »

I’ve been using my position on the Appropriations Committee to raise awareness about the impact that Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are having in the First District, and the urgency of devoting more resources to research and prevention efforts. Read more »

Companies want to keep consumers in dark about GMO foods Read more »

USDA Announces Availability of Loans and Grants to Support Rural Economic Development Revolving loans, micro-lending help create jobs, spark business expansion, increase rural manufacturing May 20, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department is accepting applications for loans and grants to support community development projects, business expansion and job creatio... Read more »