Welcome to USDA Rural Development

Rural Development is committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. Through our programs, we touch rural America in many ways.

Our financial programs support such essential public facilities and services as water and sewer systems, housing, health clinics, emergency service facilities and electric and telephone service. We promote economic development by supporting loans to businesses through banks and community-managed lending pools. We offer technical assistance and information to help agricultural and other cooperatives get started and improve the effectiveness of their member services. And we provide technical assistance to help communities undertake community empowerment programs.

Rural Development achieves its mission by helping rural individuals, communities and businesses obtain the financial and technical assistance needed to address their diverse and unique needs. Rural Development works to make sure that rural citizens can participate fully in the global economy.

Thank you for visiting the Rural Development web site. We hope you found the information helpful.

Related Links

Below are some of the many online resources you might find useful. We hope you will visit the Rural Development web site again soon.

Note: Rural Development is not responsible for the accuracy of the content of non-Rural Development sites.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): Through its agencies, USDA's mission is to enhance the quality of life for the American people through agricultural production support; safe, affordable, nutritious food; care of farming and forestry lands; rural community development; economic support to farmers and rural residents; expanding global markets for agricultural and forestry products and to reduce world hunger.


• Farm Service Agency (FSA): The Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers and manages farm commodity, credit, conservation, disaster and loan programs as laid out by Congress through a network of federal, state and county offices.


• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): NRCS employees provide technical assistance based on sound science and suited to a customer's specific needs. We provide financial assistance for many conservation activities. Participation in our programs is voluntary.


• USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service CSREES): CSREES' unique mission is to advance knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities by supporting research, education, and extension programs in the Land-Grant University System and other partner organizations. CSREES doesn't perform actual research, education, and extension but rather helps fund it at the state and local level and provides program leadership in these areas.



Note: Rural Development does not endorse the following sites nor comment on their endorsement.

• Agrinet: Developed by the Texas A&M University Agricultural Program, this site provides a single starting point to all agricultural resources on the Internet. It objective is to promote agribusiness and enhance agricultural product marketing and research.


• Census of Agriculture : The Census of Agriculture is the leading source of facts and figures about American agriculture. Conducted every five years, the Census provides a detailed picture of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them.


• Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI): An interdisciplinary center formed for the purpose of bringing together people and resources to promote an agriculture that is efficient, competitive, profitable, environmentally and socially sustainable for the indefinite future.