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Dear Partners and Friends,

There is profound power when we join hands. At the USDA Center for Faith, we witness daily how partnerships between government, faith communities, and neighborhood organizations multiply hope and create lasting impact—whether expanding access to healthy food, supporting farm family well-being, or strengthening rural communities.

This summer’s Freedom 250 celebrations remind us that America’s story is one of people uniting across differences to serve a greater good. We invite every congregation and community organization to join us in this important work. Your faith, compassion, and local presence are invaluable.

Please check the rest of this newsletter for upcoming events and practical ways to partner with our Center.

Thank you to all our partners for the hands you extend in service. Together, we are making a real difference.

Let us keep joining hands—united in purpose and grounded in care for our neighbors.

With gratitude,

In partnership,

Steve Messeh, Director

USDA Center for Faith

To get the latest news, please sign up for the USDA Faith Center newsletter

Greetings Faith and Community Partners, 

Thank you for reading the USDA Center for Faith newsletter. We have some exciting updates to share with you, and many opportunities to engage with the department over the coming months.

Please join us if you are able for Rededicate 250, an amazing opportunity to celebrate the role of faith, prayer, and fellowship as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of our Independence. We also have two exciting webinars to join in May; please also visit our open grants and funding opportunities section towards the bottom of our newsletter.

And as we are in a season of renewal, we have an important update about the Center for Faith.

Secretary Rollins is committed to ensuring that faith communities and organizations not only have a seat at the table, but a prominent seat. We are thankful for her vision and are excited to share that the USDA Center for Faith will be re-joining the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, highlighting our office vision to integrate faith communities into all aspects of the USDA. It truly is the Golden Age of Partnerships and Public Engagement.

Congratulations to Director Steve Messeh for being named Acting Executive Director of USDA OPPE. We are grateful for his leadership during this transition.

This change amplifies and strengthens our work, and offers exciting new possibilities. As we move forward throughout the year, please know that our team at USDA is working hard to serve our faith communities and partners, and that we are praying together in fellowship to overcome our challenges and put America, and farmers, first.

Blessings,

Dr. Alveda King

Senior Advisor to the Secretary on Faith and Community Outreach

USDA Center for Faith

To get the latest news, please sign up for the USDA Faith Center newsletter

USDA Announces Creation of USDA Office of Seafood

USDA has recently announced the creation of the new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Seafood. This first of its kind office will prioritize customer service and ease of navigation for American seafood cultivators, producers, and processors to access USDA programs.

One of the primary roles of the new USDA Office of Seafood will be coordinating across USDA agencies to ensure fishermen are integrated into USDA programs and working alongside the U.S. Department of Commerce and other Federal partners to revitalize the American seafood industry.

Today’s action supports USDA’s implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order 14276, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. The USDA Office of Seafood will play an important role in coordinating with the U.S. Department of Commerce in the development of the America First Seafood Strategy to promote production, marketing, sale, and export of U.S. fishery and aquaculture products and strengthen domestic processing capacity.

For additional information, email seafood@usda.gov or visit www.usda.gov/seafood.

USDA Seeks Public Input on Establishment Size Definitions

FSIS is considering revising how it defines establishment sizes for purposes of its oversight of meat and poultry establishments and egg products plants. Since 1996, FSIS has used Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) size categories, which are based on employee count and annual sales, to analyze the impact of regulations and tailor assistance to small entities. More recently, FSIS has also applied volume-based thresholds to categorize establishments to analyze the impact of regulations and for establishing Agency sampling frequencies or setting sampling requirements for the regulated industry. This advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) requests stakeholder input on whether FSIS should update its establishment size definitions and, if so, how.

Submit comments on or before May 26, 2026.

USDA Announces the Creation of the USDA National Proving Grounds Network to Strengthen U.S. Farm and Ranch Profitability

USDA announced the launch of the USDA National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech (NPG-Ag), a nationwide initiative designed to rigorously evaluate agricultural technologies under real-world U.S. farming and ranching conditions. The initiative has been designed to thoroughly test and validate both existing and emerging tools under real-world production conditions, ultimately providing farmers and ranchers with trusted, practical insights that they can rely upon when making technology-investment decisions.

Agricultural technology companies are invited to enroll their commercial and pre-commercial products with Grand Farm when the request for products is opened to the public. For more information, please visit the USDA National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech website.

Religious Liberty Commission Holds Final Hearing on the Past, Present, and Future of Religious Liberty in America

The Religious Liberty Commission hosted its final hearing on April 13, where the members of the Religious Liberty Commission—some of our country’s most respected religious leaders—reviewed the findings from all hearings to date.

The hearing also featured testimony on the role of faith in the American story. Key testimony came from a civil rights leader who participated in the lunch-room sit-ins in the 1960s, as well as renowned scholars and faith leaders from all walks of life.

Announcing FY 2026 Priority Countries for America First International Food Assistance Programming

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service announced the priority countries for its Food for Progress and McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition programs for fiscal year 2026.

For FY 2026, Food for Progress anticipates awarding up to $226 million in new cooperative agreements for up to five-year projects ranging from $28 to $35 million each. Priority countries for Food for Progress include Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ecuador, Morocco, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

For FY 2026, McGovern-Dole anticipates awarding up to $240 million in new cooperative agreements for five-year projects ranging from $10 to $35 million each. Priority countries for McGovern-Dole include Bolivia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Guinea (Conakry), Honduras, Liberia, and Timor-Leste.

USDA will publish the FY 2026 Notices of Funding Opportunity for the Food for Progress and McGovern-Dole programs on Grants.gov.

REDEDICATE 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving

Sunday, May 17, 2026, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

On Sunday, May 17, 2026, Rededicate 250 will gather a broad assembly of voices united by a love of God and country at the National Mall. The event will bring together public servants and national leaders, faith leaders from across the faith traditions, and military bands, choirs, and ceremonial units. A livestream will be available nationwide through partner churches, ministries, and organizations. The event takes place 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the National Mall, Washington, D.C. — Main Stage at 12th Street, S.W. Admission is free and open to the public. 

The Golden Age of Partnerships and Public Engagement

Friday, May 8, 2-3pm Eastern

The USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement will be hosting an upcoming webinar to highlight USDA and OPPE strategic priorities and upcoming opportunities for partnership. Please join us to learn more about how to collaborate with the department and about resources to address challenges in your community.

Agenda

Leadership Remarks

Steve Messeh, Acting Executive Director, USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement

Dr. Marty Makary, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services

Dr. Alveda King, Senior Advisor for Faith and Community Outreach, USDA Center for Faith

White House Remarks

Dave Donaldson, Special Assistant to the President, and Grants Lead, White House Faith Office

Guest Remarks

Olivia Walton, Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America

USDA Opportunities for Partnership

Shiela Corley, Chief of Staff, USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

Question, Persuade, and Refer for Suicide Prevention Training for Faith and Community Leaders

Thursday, May 21, 2:30-4:30pm EDT

The USDA Center for Faith and the Farmer Veteran Coalition will be hosting a FREE, virtual, Question, Persuade, Refer for Suicide Prevention Training Session for faith and community leaders during National Mental Health Awareness Month.

The training provides information and best practices about how to respond and support someone who is having suicidal thoughts. A certificate will be available for participants upon completion of the workshop. Please email faith@usda.gov with any questions.

Agenda

Leadership Remarks

Dr. Alveda King, Senior Advisor for Faith and Community Outreach, USDA Center for Faith

Steve Messeh, Director, USDA Center for Faith

Jeanette Lombardo, Executive Director, Farmer Veteran Coalition

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Training

Doris Mold, Mental Health Awareness Project Lead, Farmer Veteran Coalition 

Monica Kramer McConkey, LPC, Rural Mental Health Specialist, Farmer Veteran Coalition

You’re Invited: A National Day of Service

with America 250 

On May 16, national and local service organizations nationwide are invited to host Good Neighbor Day service events with the goal of creating the largest single day of coordinated service and goodwill in American history. 

This event is held  in partnership with America250, the national, nonpartisan organization charged by Congress to engage Americans in celebrating and commemorating the 250th anniversary of our country.

Organizations interested in participating can join the effort in minutes and receive access to an easy-to-use digital platform where they can tap into a comprehensive toolkit, event and marketing playbooks, social media assets, a library of turnkey service event ideas, and connections to best-in-class training and support.

We cultivate a new generation of farmers and food leaders, and develop viable employment and meaningful careers through the collaboration of the farming and military communities. We believe that veterans possess the unique skills and character needed to strengthen rural communities and create sustainable food systems. We believe that agriculture offers purpose, opportunity, and physical and psychological benefits.

American Heroes Student Art Contest

On behalf of Freedom 250 and the National Endowment for the Humanities, we invite youth to participate in the American Heroes Student Art Contest. This national initiative celebrates our nation’s Semiquincentennial by inviting students in grades 3-12 to create and submit original two-dimensional artworks and 200-word artist statements inspired by one of the 250 historic Americans to be honored in the upcoming National Garden of American Heroes.

Final awardees will win a trip to Washington, D.C. in July to see their art and essays exhibited at the Great American State Fair and to be recognized in an awards ceremony.

The competition is meant to foster a sense of patriotism, reflection, and celebration in students by considering and re-creating America’s historical figures, in an American art historical style, and expressing why these heroes matter to us today.

Full contest details, submission guidelines, and teacher resources for the art classroom are available at the Freedom250.org website.

4-H: Beyond Ready

4-H is America’s largest youth development organization—empowering nearly six million young people with the skills to go beyond the expected.

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Division of Youth and 4-H is home to the 4-H National Headquarters. 4-H programs in science, healthy living and civic engagement are backed by a network of 100 public universities and a robust community of 4‑H volunteers and professionals. Through hands-on learning, youth build not only confidence, creativity and curiosity, but also life skills such as leadership and resiliency to help them thrive today and tomorrow.

Find more resources to be Beyond Ready.

FFA Grant and Scholarship Opportunities

Through a variety of grants and scholarships, the National Future Farmers of America Organization provides financial assistance to individual members, FFA chapters and advisors. These funds are intended to remove financial barriers to participation in FFA activities. Learn more about these funding opportunities here. 

Greetings Partners,

Thank you for reading the Center newsletter and for your continued partnership and support. Did you know that faith and community-based nonprofits are eligible for conservation programs administered by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)?

As the USDA’s primary private lands conservation agency, NRCS delivers science-based information to help people invest in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, and steward natural resources.

NRCS is focused on the American producer. Through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work with producers and communities to meet their unique conservation goals through voluntary programs. By doing so, NRCS helps ensure the long-term prosperity of American agriculture.

These programs primarily support farmers, ranchers, and private landowners. However, non-profit organizations are also eligible for conservation planning technical assistance.

If you are interested in NRCS programs, please visit your local service center at the following link: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center.

Please reach out to faith@usda.gov with any questions about specific grants or programs, or if we can be of assistance with any other challenges.

Thank you for your partnership,

Alex Cordova

Deputy Director, USDA Center for Faith

USDA Center for Faith

To get the latest news, please sign up for the USDA Faith Center newsletter

The USDA Center for Faith collects and shares information about available grants from USDA and federal partners. These are selected based on relevance to our faith partners, but are not all inclusive of our offerings. Please visit grants.gov for a comprehensive listing.

The National Farmers Market Survey is Live!

Market managers & operating organizations can take it today! Make sure markets in your state are represented. Only one survey submission is needed per market location. The deadline to submit has been extended. 

Led by Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) in partnership with USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, this nationwide survey collects critical information about how farmers markets operate across the United States—covering topics such as management structure, staffing, funding, vendors, and more. The insights gathered will help strengthen resources and support markets; inform sector-wide best practices; and provide data for national, regional, and state-level analysis (where response rates allow).

The survey should take approximately 20–25 minutes to complete. While it was designed so that operating records are not required, having access to your 2025 operational records may make it easier to answer some questions. The survey is open until the end of April. 

Local Agriculture Market Program

USDA 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. 

Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 5, 2026.

Community Facilities Direct Loan Program and Guaranteed Loan Program

Community Facilities Direct Loan Program

USDA Rural Development provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. Projects include fire and rescue stations, town halls, health care clinics and hospitals.

Application deadline: Open Year Round

Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program

USDA Rural Development provides loan guarantees to eligible lenders to develop essential community facilities (CF) in rural areas. Examples of community facilities include health care facilities, buildings like town halls, and public safety facilities such as fire departments.

Application deadline: Open Year Round

Rapid Response to Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems - A1712

USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture seeks applications that focus on critical and urgent solutions in rapid response to weather and disaster impacts on the Nation’s food and agricultural systems and that clearly describe short-term deliverables (within 3 months of award receipt), including a plan for their adoption/use. Application window: Within 45 days of weather event or disaster

On-Farm Labor Housing Loans

USDA Rural Development provides low-interest loans to borrowers to develop or rehabilitate rental housing for very-low- to moderate-income farm laborers. Application window: Open until funds are depleted.

Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve, or remove health and safety hazards to their homes. Application window: Open

Environmental Quality Incentives Program

High Tunnel Initiative

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is the flagship conservation program of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands. EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns, such as improved water and air quality, increased soil health, drought mitigation and much more.

This particular EQIP initiative encourages producers to use High Tunnel Systems (aka “hoop houses”) to extend their growing season and protect plants from severe weather. Learn more and find your local service center at the link below.

This collection of thrifty favorites can help celebrate the season by using fresh, whole foods without breaking the bank.

Cajun Style Fish and Grits

This heart-healthy Cajun Style Fish and Grits is a great way to Eat Real Food.

Please visit the Food and Nutrition Service's website for additional recipes to support healthy families.

Asparagus with Gremolata Sauce

Pasta Primavera

Spring Vegetable Saute