Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack yesterday announced funding for projects in 40 states to finance investments in improved water and wastewater systems for more than 200,000 rural residents. "Rural businesses and residents need access to clean water and modern waste disposal systems. This isn't just an economic issue, it's an issue of basic health and safety," said Vilsack.
"Water and wastewater projects like these help safeguard rural access to a modern, working infrastructure, which in turn ensures a decent quality of life and helps attract - and keep - the best and brightest in small towns across America."
Vilsack noted that passage of a comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs bill would help tackle the $2.1 billion backlog of shovel-ready rural water/wastewater projects, and said the bill is vital to rural communities. These are just some of the reasons why Congress should pass a comprehensive bill as soon as possible, he said.
In today's announcement, USDA is providing $203 million to finance 74 water and infrastructure improvement projects in 40 states. For example, Eagle Butte, S.D., has been selected to receive a $2 million loan/grant combination to upgrade a wastewater treatment system that serves more than 3,000 residents in one of the poorest parts of the state.
In Texas, the El Paso County Water Improvement District #4 is getting a $4.2 million loan/grant combination to install a new water storage tank and nano-filtration system. The project will provide clean, safe water for more than 8,000 residents.
The funding is being provided through USDA Rural Development's Water and Environmental Program. It will have a significant impact on rural residents and businesses - as it did for people who live and work near Berlin, Md.
At the start of the Obama Administration, USDA Rural Development awarded the town $11.8 million in Recovery Act loans and grants to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant to meet environmental standards.
The project had benefits beyond improved wastewater services for local residents and businesses. Sixty-five construction workers, who had lost their jobs just before the town received the Rural Development funds, were hired to work on the project.
The Berlin project is one of nearly 3,900 water and wastewater projects supported with funding authorized by the Farm Bill that Rural Development has financed since 2009. These projects have created jobs and provided clean water for nearly 14 million rural residents.
To view a complete list of projects that will receive USDA funding, contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the funding agreement, visit: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/RDWEPDecember2013.pdf






Announcements
Job Offers
- Senior Agronomist/Horticulturist and Agronomy/Horticulture Manager
- Growers & Assistant Growers
- Plant Biologist
- Ripening Officer Bananas / Exotics
- Grower and Nurser
- Farm Manager
- Floriculture Production Planning Manager
- Agricultural Mechanic / Crop Sprayer Operator
- Technical Services Manager
- Quality Controller
"Tweeting Growers"
Top 5 -yesterday
- "A generational change is going on in Italy's horti sector"
- Schartner's mall-size greenhouse in Exeter still on hold after judge's ruling
- Strawberry picking robots aim to save California growers
- Monitoring thrips with image technology unique, benificial insects soon to be counted digitally
- Brazil: $1 mln investment in wasabi greenhouse production
Top 5 -last week
- Top tips for growing lettuce in a greenhouse
- UK: Grower reduces greenhouse temperature by more than 6°C during heatwave with no cooling, fog systems
- Taking the wisdom from indoor farming and bringing it into greenhouses
- New packaging for hydroponic fertilizer launched
- "Kawaguchi tomato variety good option for consumer, but also good for the grower"
Top 5 -last month
Receive the daily newsletter in your email for free | Click here
Other news in this sector:
- 2022-08-12 New application for disinfection of fresh-cut fruits by means ozone in the packaging
- 2022-07-07 New cold storage and research rooms put into operation at Proeftuin Randwijk
- 2022-07-07 Fruit that always has the best taste and bite thanks to All-in-One Spectral Cabinet
- 2022-06-30 50% more plants thanks to new strawberry cultivation system
- 2022-06-01 Proseal pioneers workable alternatives to plastic tray sealing
- 2022-05-27 European retailers called out for not going all-in on curtailing plastic pollution
- 2022-05-27 Is the economy threatening packaging sustainability?
- 2022-05-11 Drivers: the unsung heroes of the horticultural industry
- 2022-05-03 Canadian grower backs five-year plastics research project
- 2022-04-25 US (GA): Horticultural container manufacturer to invest $44 million in Toombs County
- 2022-04-06 Beekenkamp introduces new transport boxes for better automatic processing
- 2022-04-04 "Display enables nice placement of herbs and optimal brand presentation"
- 2022-03-30 Fast and flexible closing machine for cardboard trays with flaps
- 2022-03-30 'Perfecting trade amid overwhelming global developments'
- 2022-03-24 UK: Plastic Packaging Tax comes into force on April 1
- 2022-03-21 "Avoiding excess packaging and wastage"
- 2022-03-18 Wageningen University & Research extends roadmap for more sustainable food packaging
- 2022-03-17 "US shows a strong demand for flexible and innovative packaging lines for greenhouse-grown produce"
- 2022-03-17 "Refrigerated vehicles can be kept at service temperatures thanks to modern e-cooling systems"
- 2022-03-16 Belgian strawberry grower creates tool to asses sustainability of packaging