USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) hosts two listening sessions. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Pub. L. 117-58) provided the RUS Telecommunications Program with support for technical assistance and pre-development planning. RUS received additional funding for these purposes in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328). RUS wants to hear from you! Join the conversation:

• 2/23: Broadband Technical Assistance for Rural Communities- To solicit valuable insight into the challenges communities face in gaining broadband access, the types of technical assistance resources that would best serve these communities and how RUS can best provide support.
• 2/28: Broadband Technical Assistance Providers- To solicit input on the opportunities available to provide technical assistance for rural communities, the barriers to deliver these services and how RUS can help providers overcome these barriers.

2/23-24: USDA’s 99^th Annual: Agricultural Outlook Forum

2/28: CDFA Food Systems Finance Webinar Series: Bonds & Food Systems

Various: Getting the Grant: Applying for Appalachian Regional Commission Funding Opportunities | ARISE, INSPIRE and POWER

• 2/23: Belden, Mississippi
• 2/28: Knoxville, Tennessee
• 3/2: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Throughout January: Inflation Reduction Act Round Tables with USDA Rural Utilities Service. Check the Events Link on this website for your best fit. Past USDA RD IRA webinars are also available to review.

1/25 & 1/27: USDA RD Presents: Introduction to Build America, Buy America Act. On February 3, 2023, all non-Federal entities receiving USDA Rural Development federal financial assistance for infrastructure projects must comply with the Build America, Buy America Act.

Register: 1/25 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 1/27 11:00 a.m. Eastern or 1/27 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern

2/15: Housing Solutions in Rural Recreation Communities - EPA’s Office of Community Revitalization, USDA RD, and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) address housing in gateway communities.

2/23-24: 2023 Agricultural Outlook Forum

Recorded: USDA AMS Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program

Recorded: USDA: Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreements 

Recorded: NIFA Food Safety Outreach Program FY 2023 RFA Technical Assistance Webinar

USDA RD Featured Success Story:

Public Health AmeriCorps AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention joined forces to launch this program designed to support the recruitment, training and development of the next generation of public health leaders. Apply by January 4, 2023. See the Public Health AmeriCorps Technical Assistance webinar session and the Public Health AmeriCorps External Communications Toolkit for more information.

Project for Public Spaces Placemaking Booklet Learn all about placemaking! Free resource offered from Project for Public Spaces to help more people learn about placemaking, its benefits and the principles underlying the process.

Recorded: Centering Indigenous Values in Outdoor Recreation Series - SORP's recent training series on how Indigenous values and Traditional Ecological Knowledge are brought into outdoor recreation planning and management by Indigenous and non-Indigenous outdoor recreation professionals. Future events:

• 1/11: Indigenous mapping and research project for the national trail system Registration link
• 1/18: Building informal relationships with Tribes Registration link
• 1/25: Connecting Indigenous youth with their ancestral lands Registration link
• 2/1: Bringing Indigenous values into practice in park planning and design Registration link

1/25: FEMA Resilient Nation Partner Network 2023 Kickoff - Stories of Resilience and Storytelling Training

2/11-14: The National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference

4/1-4: American Planning Association National Conference: Join in to tackle critical issues facing planners including climate change, housing, health equity and the future of work

Come to the Table: Bringing Healthcare and Nutrition Together
USDA gathered with partners at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to forge a future without hunger and health disparities to build momentum from the Come to the Table: USDA’s National Nutrition Security and Healthcare Summit where leaders came together to advance goals of ensuring all Americans have the resources necessary to eat nutritious foods that support good health.

RFI: Opportunities and Challenges in Federal Community Investment Programs
This Request for Information (RFI) offers the public the opportunity to provide information on effective approaches for supporting access to affordable capital and financial services in historically underserved communities, including communities of color, rural and Tribal communities. The Interagency Community Investment Committee (ICIC) is focused on the operations and execution of federal programs that facilitate the flow of capital and the provision of financial resources into historically underserved communities. Comments Due By: 12/5/2022

Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) and Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) entered into a Collaborative Workforce Development Agreement
This agreement advances workforce education and training for the broadband communications industry to promote both associations’ workforce development programs: the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program that is nationally sponsored by WIA for broadband and 5G technicians and the Fiber Broadband Association’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program that trains fiber technicians. Together they move to promote Registered Apprenticeship, develop world-class curriculum, establish industry-recognized credentials and certifications, and articulate career pathways.

12/7: Creative Placemaking Technical Assistance Program - Presented as part of the Creative Placemaking Technical Assistance Program, led by the National Endowment for the Arts and Local Initiatives Support Corporation

12/7 through 12/9: Rural Seminar on Workforce & Small Business 2022 by Rural LISC.

12/13: Tools for Economic Growth with Treasury and SBA, Council of Development Finance Agencies

Recorded: Tribal Food Sovereignty a Focus of NAFDPIR Conference: When you recognize the food on your plate, you recall memories of sharing meals with loved ones. 

Recorded: SCORE - 12 Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs & Your Marketing Roadmap - Content, Publicity and Personal Branding