Dr. Glenda Humiston, State Director

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27% - The increase in vehicle traffic on state's rural roads between 1990 and 2003. 

6,000 miles  - The length of California's network of levees that protect areas from flooding. 

18% - Segment of the state's rural population that completed college in 2000 vs. 26.8% of urban population.

1.4 million  - The number of mostly rural Californians lacking broadband access at any speed  

7.1% - The unemployment rate in California's rural areas vs. 6.2% in urban areas (2004 data).

3,400 - The estimated number of California jobs saved through the help of USDA Rural Development business programs in 2007.

Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, USDA Rural Development, California Chamber of Commerce

February

February 2, 2010

USDA Rural Development Hosted 43 Forums on Jobs and Economic Development Throughout California

Rural Development in partnership with the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service as well as the University of California Cooperative Extension and the California Association for Local Economic Development hosted 43 forums across California on jobs and economic development. 

Individual forums were organized and led by a vast group of local partners throughout California including Tribal Governments, Resource Conservation and Development Councils, local Economic Development Corporations, California State Universities, the Valley

Health Network, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Farm Bureaus, Self-Help Housing Groups, Agricultural Commissioners, Resource Conservation Districts, County Supervisors, Community Colleges and many others. 

Above: Calaveras County forum held as the county library in San Andreas on Jan. 27.  The event was organized by The Resource Connection.

Left: Inyo County forum held at the Mount Whitney Hostel in Lone Pine on Jan. 26.  The event was coordinated by the Lone Pine EDC and Mojave Desert Mountain RC&D.

Right: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties joined together for a forum held in Santa Maria at the Los Adobes de Maria II community center.  The event was organized and led by Peoples' Self-Help Housing

Left: Fresno County forum held at the Fresno Council of Government Conference Room on Jan. 25.  The event was organized by several local organizations including CSU Fresno.

At the conclusion of our forums, input was analyzed during a statewide videoconference.  This live roundtable networked 20 USDA offices throughout the state and gave local forum leaders an opportunity to share and discuss their individual findings with the USDA state leadership and several state partners. 

Left: Leaders at the Rural Development State Office in Davis listen to Greg O’Sullivan from the Shasta County Economic Development Council shared the findings from the forum held in Anderson, during the live videoconference on Jan. 28. 

A report detailing the statewide findings is currently being developed and will be available for download soon.
 

For more pictures on other projects visit the Photo Gallery
 

In other USDA Rural Development news...
 

Change in Award Dates for Value-Added Producer Grant Program
USDA Rural Development changed the anticipated award date from January 7, 2010 to May 3, 2010 to ensure time for scoring and processing applications.  For more information please view the notice in the Federal Register here.

September 4, 2009

President Obama Appoints New California State Director - Dr. Glenda Humiston

Humiston recently finished a Ph. D. in the Division of Society and Environment, College of Natural Resources at the University of California at Berkeley, completing a dissertation entitled "Sustainable Agriculture as U.S. Farm Policy: Opportunities and Threats to Reform." Previously, she served as Deputy Under Secretary of the USDA from 1998 to 2001 where she managed all aspects of USDA conservation mission and environmental programs, a $1.4 Billion budget and over 11,000 employees. Dr. Humiston is continuing her over 20 years of work facilitating local community's efforts for sustainable development.

Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) Program Notice
For information on this program notice click here. 

More news is just a click away in the USDA Rural Development News Room