Some major spending will be coming out of Washington which is headed for rural America.
The Department will be spending $266 million through loans and grants intended to help producers and small rural businesses invest in renewable energy. The hope is to lower energy costs and generate new income. While speaking to a group at the Farm Progress Show, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said finding new income and opportunities is key to keeping residents in rural America.
“Now all of a sudden kids are staying in that school and its expanded. Those shops aren’t boarded up, they’ve got customers. That hospital can stay open so you don’t have to travel hundreds of miles to get health care. Now all of a sudden, you also have a population in rural communities, and this is the most important thing I’m going to say, that supports this country in this way: 15% of this nation’s population lives in rural America; 30% of military comes from rural America. If you have fewer kids, you have fewer people available for the military. So this isn’t just about agriculture. It’s about the fate of small towns and rural America.”
USDA will be making these grants and loans available in nearly all 50 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
USDA Rural Development Director for Kentucky, Travis Burton, joined us to discuss the Princeton facility (formerly Porter Road Meats), now backed by the USDA, and its role in expanding domestic meat processing capacity.
January 23, 2026 03:39 PM
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Nearly everyone in the South Texas ag community appears extremely worried about the potential of a New World screwworm epidemic, according to a local veterinarian. RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey reports.
January 23, 2026 11:56 AM
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Rural population growth and stabilizing economic indicators point to post-pandemic recovery, but uneven income, shifting industries, and regional divides remain key challenges for rural communities.
January 23, 2026 08:00 AM
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Decoupled base acres may amplify income inequality and distort planting decisions as farm program payments increase.
January 22, 2026 12:56 PM
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Corn and wheat exports remain a demand bright spot, while soybeans are transitioning into a more typical late-winter shipping slowdown.
January 21, 2026 10:36 AM
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Despite rising costs and growing food insecurity, meat demand remained strong in 2025 as higher-income consumers offset cutbacks elsewhere. Economists break down the K-shaped economy, upcoming USDA cattle reports, livestock production outlooks, and renewed debate over beef imports and country-of-origin labeling heading into 2026.
January 20, 2026 02:47 PM
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