USDA awards $14 million in higher education grants to support rural economic growth

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on Wednesday "announced nearly $14 million in grants to support four programs to increase prosperity in rural America through research, education and extension programs focused on promoting rural community development, economic growth and sustainability," says a USDA press release.

Grants were awarded for:

Rural Communities and Regional Development:

• Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala., $499,998
• University of Georgia, Athens, Ga., $474,998
• University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, $499,287
• Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La., $499,789
• University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn., $498,943
• Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont., $474,190
• Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., $499,374
• University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt., $499,994

Agricultural Economics and Rural Communities – Environment:

• University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn., $500,000
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., $500,000
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., $499,976
• University of Nevada, Reno, Nev., $498,393
• University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R.I., $463,096
• University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R.I., $47,882
• Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va., $313,557

Agricultural Economics and Rural Communities – Economics, Markets and Trade:

• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark., $399,867
• University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill., $49,600
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., $499,709
• Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa., $245,131
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., $500,000
• Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio., $494,547
• Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla., $485,414
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis., $379,234
• University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyo., $149,858

Funds were also provided through the Small and Medium-sized Farm program to provide farmers and ranchers assistance in their decision making with respect to management strategies, new technologies, sustainability, competitiveness and viability.

Fiscal year 2014 Small and Medium-Sized Farms:

• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark., $499,978
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., $471,462
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., $499,995
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass., $499,380
• Alcorn State University, Lorman, Miss., $499,794
• Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, $384,913
• Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore., $499,996
• University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt., $499,978