Press releases

USDA Announces $32.4 Million in Grant Funding Available through the Local Agriculture Market Program

Trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage . USDA Announces $32.4 Million in Grant Funding Available through the Local Agriculture Market Program Notice to Trade The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced $32.4 million in grant funding available through the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) to help local and regional food entities develop, coordinate, and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises. LAMP includes the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) , Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) , and the Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) . USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is accepting applications for the grant programs until June 5, 2026. Through FMPP and LFPP, USDA is making $27.68 million available. FMPP funds projects that develop, coordinate, and expand direct producer-to-consumer markets such as farmers markets, roadside stands, agritourism activities, community-supported agriculture programs (CSA), or online sales. LFPP funds projects that develop and expand local and regional food business enterprises that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer to consumer marketing such as shared-use kitchens, food hubs, and food incubators. This year, $4.71 million in funding is available through the RFSP to support public-private partnerships that plan and develop relationships between local and regional producers, processors, intermediaries, and institutional markets or institutional food service operations. LAMP and its accompanying grant programs are administered by USDA AMS and are funded through the 2018 Farm Bill. These programs require a 25% cash match of federal funds being requested. Application Information Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 5, 2026. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application. Read more in the Late, Nonresponsive, and Incomplete Applications Policy on the AMS Policies and Procedures page for more information. AMS offers webinars to help new applicants navigate the application process and understand best practices for the greatest chance of success. For application information, visit the program links below. Additionally, Frequently Asked Questions are posted on the AMS Grants website , and grants management specialists are standing by to answer any incoming questions and emails during regular business hours. Funding Opportunity Webpage Email FMPP www.ams.usda.gov/fmpp FMLFPPGrants@usda.gov LFPP www.ams.usda.gov/lfpp FMLFPPGrants@usda.gov RFSP www.ams.usda.gov/rfsp IPPGrants@usda.gov AMS supports U.S. food and agricultural product market opportunities, while increasing consumer access to fresh, healthy foods through applied research, technical services, and congressionally funded grants. These projects will support the development, coordination and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets and enterprises, and value-added agricultural products. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

USDA Seeks Nominees for Hass Avocado Board

Trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage . USDA Seeks Nominees for Hass Avocado Board Notice to Trade The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for the Hass Avocado Board. Nominees are needed to fill 10 seats for members with terms beginning Nov. 1, 2026, and ending Oct. 31, 2029. USDA seeks nominees for the following seats: Six domestic producers – three directors and three alternates Four importers – two directors and two alternates Nominees may seek nomination to the board for all open seats for which they are eligible. Applications are available at hassavocadoboard.com, or by contacting Emiliano Escobedo, Executive Director, Hass Avocado Board at (949) 341-3250 or by email at ee@hassavocadoboard.com . For additional information, contact Harrison Hodges, Marketing Specialist, USDA, at (443) 571-8456 or by email at william.hodges2@usda.gov. The current 12-member board includes seven producer members, two importer members, and three producer or importer members who serve in swing seats. Each member has an alternate. More information about the board is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Hass Avocado Board webpage. Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 21 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

USDA Seeks Nominees for the American Egg Board

Trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage . USDA Seeks Nominees for the American Egg Board Notice to Trade The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the American Egg Board to fill nine member and nine alternate member vacancies. Nine members and nine alternate members will serve two-year terms beginning March 2027 and ending March 2029. One member will serve a one-year term. Area I (three member and three alternate vacancies): Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. Area II (five member and four alternate vacancies): Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin. Area III (two member and two alternate vacancies): Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The deadline for nominations is July 20, 2026. Nomination forms, a list of the three areas, and the certified eligible operations within each area are available on the AMS American Egg Board web page. The board is composed of 18 members and 18 alternates and administers the egg research and promotion program authorized by the Egg Research and Consumer Information Act of 1974. For more information, contact Barbara Josselyn at 202-713-6918 or Barbara.Josselyn@usda.gov . Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 21 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender

NRC to Discuss Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant Performance

USDA Seeks Nominees for the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center

Trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage . USDA Seeks Nominees for the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center Notice to Trade The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for two producer positions and one expert in marketing to serve three-year terms on the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center Board of Directors. Nominations are due June 29, 2026. USDA selects appointees from candidates nominated by Certified Nominating Organizations (CNO). A CNO is any certified national organization with a principal interest in the production of sheep in the United States and whose membership consists primarily of active domestic sheep producers. The center’s board of directors is comprised of seven voting members and two non-voting members. Voting members include four active U.S. sheep producers, two members with expertise in finance and management and one member with expertise in lamb or wool product marketing. Non-voting members include USDA’s Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics. The Sheep Industry Improvement Center was established as part of the 2008 Farm Bill and administers a grant program designed to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. sheep industry by strengthening and enhancing the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, to attract nominees that reflect the uniqueness of the industry in terms of experience, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the center. For more information, contact Barbara Josselyn at 202-713-6918 or Barbara.Josselyn@usda.gov . USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender

USDA Seeks Nominees for National Watermelon Promotion Board

Trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage . USDA Seeks Nominees for National Watermelon Promotion Board Notice to Trade The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for the National Watermelon Promotion Board. Nominees are needed to fill eight seats for members with terms beginning Jan. 1, 2027, and ending Dec. 31, 2029. Nominees are also needed to fill one vacant importer seat that ends on Dec. 31, 2027. Nominees are needed for the following seats: Two producer and two handler seats from District 1 (Florida) Five importer seats (including one vacant seat) The board held videoconference calls on Feb. 11, 2026, for producers and handlers from District 1 and importers to select their representatives. For more information about the videoconference meetings and to obtain nomination information, contact the National Watermelon Promotion Board’s Director of Operations, Rebekah Dossett at rdossett@watermelon.org , or Industry Affairs Manager Andrea Smith at asmith@watermelon.org , or by phone at (407) 657-0261. The board is made up of 30 industry members including 10 producers, 10 handlers, nine importers, and one public member. More information about the board is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Watermelon Promotion Board webpage or on the board’s website, www.watermelon.org . For additional information, contact USDA Marketing Specialist Harrison Hodges at William.Hodges2@usda.gov or by phone at (443) 571-8456. Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 21 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

USDA Seeks Nominees for the American Lamb Board

Trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage . USDA Seeks Nominees for the American Lamb Board Notice to Trade The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the American Lamb Board to succeed four members with terms that expire in early 2027. One producer with 100 or less lamb One producer with more than 500 lambs One feeder with less than 5,000 lambs One first handler One seedstock producer Any U.S. producer, feeder, or first handler who owns or purchases lambs may be considered for nomination. The deadline for nominations is June 23, 2026. Either the producer with 100 or less lambs or the producer with more than 500 lambs must be from Region I, east of the Mississippi River. The feeder with less than 5,000 lamb can be from either Region I or Region II. Producers, feeders, first handlers, and seedstock producers must be nominated by certified nominating organizations and submit a completed application. The Secretary of Agriculture will select individuals from the nominations submitted. The 13-member board was established to maintain and expand the market for sheep and sheep products. A list of certified nominating organizations, the nomination form, and information about the Lamb Board are available on the AMS American Lamb Board web page and on the boards website, lambresourcecenter.com . For more information, contact Barbara Josselyn at 202-713-6918 or Barbara.Josselyn@usda.gov . Since 1966, Congress has authorized industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 21 boards. Oversight ensures fiscal accountability and program integrity and is paid for by industry assessments. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

USDA Seeks Nominees for National Peanut Board

Trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage . USDA Seeks Nominees for National Peanut Board Notice to Trade The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for the National Peanut Board. Nominees are needed to replace one producer member and one alternate for Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia. Appointed members will serve three-year terms to succeed members whose terms of office end on Dec. 31, 2026. Members and alternates are nominated by producers or producer groups within their respective states. For more information about state nomination meetings and the application process, contact Maria Mehok, Senior Vice President of Finance and Compliance, Chief Operating Officer National Peanut Board, at (678) 424-5750 or at mymehok@nationalpeanutboard.org. You may also contact Vickie Carpenter, Marketing Specialist, USDA, at (202) 400-1865 or at VictoriaM.Carpenter@usda.gov. The 12-member board includes 11 members and their alternates representing the primary peanut-producing states and one at-large member and their alternate who represent the minor peanut-producing states. More information about the board is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) National Peanut Board webpage or on the National Peanut Board’s website at www.nationalpeanutboard.org . AMS policy is that the boards, councils and committees it oversees should reflect their industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach to attract candidates with skills and abilities that serve their industry needs. Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 21 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

USDA Seeks Nominees for the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board

Trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage . USDA Seeks Nominees for the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board Notice to Trade The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board to succeed five members with terms expiring in December 2026. Nominees are needed to succeed five members representing two at large members, one representing Kansas, one new representing from South Dakota (due to recent reapportionment), and one representing Texas. The deadline for nominations is June 1, 2026. Sorghum producers within the United States who own or share in the ownership and risk of loss of sorghum production are eligible for nomination. A sorghum producer must be nominated by a certified producer organization and submit a completed application. The Secretary of Agriculture will select individuals from the nominations submitted. The 13-member Sorghum Board was established to maintain and expand the market for sorghum. A list of certified producer organizations, nomination form, and information about the Sorghum Board are available on the AMS United Sorghum Checkoff Program web page and on the board’s website, www.sorghumcheckoff.com . For more information, contact Barbara Josselyn at (202) 713-6918 or Barbara.Josselyn@usda.gov . Since 1966, Congress has authorized industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 21 boards. Oversight ensures fiscal accountability and program integrity and is paid for by industry assessments. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Media Advisory: NRC to Hold Public Meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes

NRC Schedules Open House to Discuss Byron Power Plant Performance

NRC Receives Application for Advanced Microreactor at University of Illinois