Federal Energy Funding for Rural and Remote Areas: A Guide for Communities
The Department of Energy's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations offers this guide for people who live or work in rural and remote areas and who are looking to plan or build clean energy projects in their communities. The guide can help stakeholders find, get ready for, and apply to federal funding and programs for clean energy.

USDA Shared Kitchen and Food Start-Up Resources
Shared kitchens are a business development strategy that communities have adopted to enable diverse local food businesses to produce, store, and sell their products. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service partnered with Colorado State University and the Food Corridor to create fact sheets and case studies about the food business owners operating out of shared kitchens and the role of shared kitchens across the country.

Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator
HHS and HUD support states in developing or expanding innovative housing-related supports and services for Medicaid-eligible people with disabilities and older adults who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Tools for Building an Equitable Infrastructure Workforce: Gender Equity Strategies as a Model
U.S. Department of Labor provides examples of successful programs and policies from across the United States, highlighting ways that groups are working to tackle equality issues in their own areas.

In the News

-USDA Expands Eligibility for Tribes Under the Rural Business Development Grants Program-Takes Effect on Jan. 16, 2024

-USDA and EPA Strengthen Partnership to Improve Access to Modern and Affordable Wastewater Infrastructure for People in Rural America

-USDA and the U.S. Small Business Administration Strengthen Partnership to Create Jobs and Economic Growth in Rural America

-USDA ERS Publishes the 2023 Edition of “America's Farms and Ranches at a Glance”

USDA's 100th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum: "Cultivating the Future": USDA offers a unique opportunity to learn about the latest trends and developments in agriculture from leading experts and industry professionals, while also networking with key players in the industry. 2/15 & 2/16 | Arlington, VA & Virtual

Input on Benefits of Clean Energy Siting in Areas: The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy are seeking diverse perspectives about what the agencies can do through their leadership, program guidance, or research and information sharing to encourage positive outcomes that benefit farmers, rural Americans, the renewable energy industry, and other interested parties. Virtual Listening Sessions: 
1/12: Government Permitting and Policy Representatives, 1/16: Agriculture Producers, 1/16:All Stakeholders and Members of the Public, and 1/17: Energy Electric Coops and Clean Energy Developers.

Boosting Career Opportunities in Coal and Manufacturing Communities:
Join NACo’s Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities National Network and Counties for Career Success initiatives for this collaborative webinar that showcases successful programs in coal and manufacturing communities.1/18 & Virtual

*NEW*
USDA Rural Development introduces new historical information presented both in video and via a webpage that trace their evolution from the Great Depression and New Deal to the present, highlighting the many ways RD supports efforts to create prosperity in rural communities.