**Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue announced last week the USDA is investing $72 million in grants to help more than 12-million rural residents gain access to health care and education, including $3-million for Alabama.

Perdue tells alfafarmers.org, these investments are paired with USDA’s monumental effort to expand high-speed broadband access in rural America.

Alabama grants were awarded to school systems in Clay, Madison, Dale and Macon counties, and medical services in Madison and Mobile counties.

**In recent years convenience stores have emerged as an important and growing outlet for U.S. pork and beef in international markets.

But this year, the sector has made significant adjustments to accommodate changing consumer routines and preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With more people working from home, U.S. Meat Export Federation’s Jesse Austin says U.S. pork and beef are well-positioned to capitalize on consumers' growing demand for convenient food that’s also high in quality.

**The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has announced 20 new research grants through the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, with over $2 million to be awarded to Organic Seed Alliance and collaborative partners for four projects that aim to meet the organic seed needs of farmers.

OSA Executive Director Cara Loriz says these projects will provide timely research and education to increase the diversity, quantity, and quality of organic seed available to American farmers.

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