USDA

Nearly 15 percent of Americans live in nonmetropolitan counties, also known as rural areas, a total of 46.2 mln people in 2013.

"(C)ivil rights and worker-safety groups arranged for poultry workers to meet with lawmakers and administration officials to warn against the proposed acceleration of processing-line speeds...

The Agriculture Department announced $35 million in grants to the historically black 1890 land grant colleges and universities.

U.S. farmers intend to plant more land to soybeans and less to corn than traders expected, the Agriculture Department said, based on a survey of 84,000 growers nationwide.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service says it "will provide close to $3 million in technical and financial assistance for interested farmers and ranchers to help improve the health of bees, which play an...

First Lady Michelle Obama and AgSec Vilsack announced new school food rules that would phase out advertising of junk foods and sodas in schools, a follow-on to provisions that require schools to serve healthier meals.

Enrollment in the food stamp program rose by 2 pct in fiscal 2013, the slowest growth since fiscal 2007, says the Daily Yonder in reviewing a USDA report on public nutrition programs.

Eighteen US senators sign letter to USTR Michael Froman saying United States should press Japan to increase market access for US farm exports.

Ag economist Jason Henderson of Purdue says "what has me a little nervous" is an upturn in borrowing as the farm sector heads into a period of lower commodity prices and farm income.

Record yields will result in record large US corn and soybean crops, USDA said at its Outlook Forum, based on current commodity prices, which affect plantings, and on normal weather.