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What a great idea, how come nobody thought of this before?
The workers at Backyard Farms in Vado, New Mexico have barely begun another day of freeze-drying produce when another truck carrying hundreds of pounds of apples arrives to deliver its load.
Since Backyard Farms began freeze drying food it’s become a beehive of activity. All… [Read More]
01.24.2023

Solar: It’s a “Big Dill” for Real Pickles Cooperative
As USDA Rural Development (RD) highlights National Cooperative Month, one worker owned co-op in Massachusetts stands out as a model for sustainability, collaboration, and local food system resiliency. The saying goes “it’s not easy being green.” But for Real Pickles in… [Read More]
10.20.2022

Gullah Co-op: Growing Food, Preserving Culture
St. Helena Island, South Carolina, is home to the Black-owned Gullah Farmers’ Cooperative. The co-op is named after the Gullah Geechee, an African American community known for its careful preservation of African cultural heritage in South Carolina and Georgia.
“This project… [Read More]
09.27.2022

New Facility Will Help Small Provide a Means for Small Farmers to Package, Store and Distribute their Produce
Larry Harris and his son, Julian Harris of Harris Farms, LLC often struggled to find a way to package and distribute their fresh produce and increase their sales. Fortunately for them and many other farmers, USDA Rural Development (RD) assisted in finding a solution to this… [Read More]
01.11.2022
Claybrook Farms Providing Beef and Jobs
Even though Claybrook Farms had a long standing reputation for its excellent Black Angus cattle breeding operation, the new owner wanted to broaden the farm’s horizon.
The Turner family purchased the 700 acre Claybrook Farms in 1975 growing it to over 1,000 acres and adding the… [Read More]
08.06.2019
Federal, State and Local Partnership Brings Farmers Market to Life
Town of Ashland City Mayor Richard Johnson was concerned about the sagging agricultural economy and lack of facilities for their Farmers Market.
Reaching out last year to state and federal partners the Town of Ashland City received a USDA Rural Development Rural Business… [Read More]
08.06.2019