Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the USDA Rural Child Poverty Nutrition Center at the University of Kentucky awarded $1.3 million in grants to help reduce child food insecurity in 17 rural communities. The funding, ranging from $50,000 to $100,000, will help these rural communities implement creative strategies to improve access to federal nutrition assistance for families and children. Secretary Vilsack made the announcement during a panel discussion on the current state of food and nutrition in America hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 10 states have been selected to take part in SNAP to Skills, a first-of-its-kind, peer-to-peer effort to help state agencies design improved employment and training programs for adults participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in order to help them find employment and ultimately move off the SNAP program.

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced a second phase of expansion of the Team Up for School Nutrition Success initiative, ensuring continued support for schools working to serve school children nutritious meals nationwide. Building on the momentum of the seven regional trainings held in 2015, FNS joined with the Institute of Child Nutrition at the University of Mississippi to offer all state agencies the opportunity to host local events to provide tailored technical assistance, support, and best practices for schools in administering successful meals programs. 

Today, on behalf of the White House Rural Council, six federal agencies joined together to announce the selection of 27 communities in 22 states that will participate in Local Foods, Local Places, a federal initiative that helps communities increase economic opportunities for local farmers and related businesses, create vibrant places and promote childhood wellness by improving access to healthy local food.

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture today awarded $2 million in grants to support research on nutrition education and obesity prevention for disadvantaged children and families at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Utah State University.

Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $4.8 million in grants for 74 projects spanning 39 states that support USDA's efforts to connect child nutrition programs with local farmers and ranchers through its Farm to School Program.

The subject today is child nutrition, and we have three people to whom this subject is very important: the Secretary of Agriculture, the president of the national pediatric association, and the director of nutrition research at the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Secretary Tom Vilsack has declared Aug. 2 through 8, 2015, as "National Farmers Market Week." This year marks the 16th annual National Farmers Market Week in honor of the important role that farmers markets play in local economies. Throughout the week, USDA will celebrate thousands of our nation's farmers markets, the farmers and ranchers who make them possible and the communities that host them.

While representing USDA at the annual conference of the National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations today, Under Secretary Kevin Concannon announced close to $1 million in grants to support nutrition education programs for participants of the USDA’s Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. In total, 15 nutrition education projects serving participants in 17 states were selected through a competitive award process that was open to tribal nations and state agencies that administer FDPIR.

Today, Secretary Tom Vilsack joined representatives from Milwaukee's Hunger Task Force, the Kohl's Corporation, and members of the Milwaukee community to bring attention to childhood hunger.