Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

News: Food Solutions in Rural Areas Focus on Community Building

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:09:32 -0600

Describes food insecurity in rural and tribal South Dakota and the community programs working to address it. Discusses the volunteer-led model that makes these programs successful.

News: USDA: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:48:07 -0600

The United States Department of Agriculture is seeking comments on an information collection titled "Generic Clearance to Conduct Formative Research or Development of Nutrition Education and Promotion Materials and Related Tools and Grants for FNS Population Groups." This information collection will be used by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to gather input into the development of nutrition education interventions that resonate with the intended target population, particularly low-income families. Comments are due by March 19, 2026.

Resource: Perspectives on Universal Free School Meals Among Rural Middle and High School Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 09:34:05 -0600

Examines perspectives on Universal Free School Meals (UFSM) among students living in rural Maine. Utilizes survey and interview data among middle and high school students to analyze student characteristics, meal preferences, and perceptions of school breakfasts and lunches.

Resource: Transforming Rural Health: Strategies from the Field - Food Insecurity

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 13:54:27 -0600

A brief that provides an overview on food insecurity in rural areas. Discusses examples of rural-focused food programs and their strategies to create partnerships, enhance food access, and improve health outcomes. -- Georgia Health Policy Center

Resource: Super Stores' Impact on the Availability of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Approved Stores

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:31:16 -0600

Examines the effect of new super stores on the survival of existing traditional stores and the cost savings accruing to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries. Features statistics including SNAP redemptions and share of redemptions by store type from 1992–2017, and impact of super store entry on the number of SNAP-approved stores with breakdowns by urban and rural areas. -- USDA Economic Research Service

Resource: Income, Healthy Food Availability, and Consumption Mediate Rural–Urban Health Disparities

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 09:41:30 -0600

Discusses rural versus urban health disparities and how healthy food availability and consumption mediate disparities. Utilizes national and state-level survey data from Oregon residents regarding their self-reported income, perceived fruit and vegetable (FV) availability, FV consumption, and health status, analyzing their associated mediating effect on rural health disparities.

Resource: Implementing Nutrition Policy, System and Environmental Change Strategies in a Rural Food Pantry to Improve Nutrition Security: Contextual Factors and Outcomes

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 09:42:26 -0600

Discusses policy, system, and environmental (PSE) food security strategies by analyzing the facilitators and barriers at a volunteer-run food pantry in rural Georgia. Utilizes client surveys, informant interviews, and program documents to examine the pantry's nutrition policy, food storage methods, partnerships, capacity, volunteer expertise, and more.

Resource: FNS Rural Designation Map

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 10:35:38 -0600

Interactive map that shows rural designations in relation to Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) eligibility. User can input address to see if a location is designated as rural. -- USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Resource: Impact of Food Accessibility on Eating and Anthropometric Outcomes among Rural Parent-Child Dyads: A Secondary Data Analysis of a Mindful Eating Intervention

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 08:59:39 -0600

Examines the relationship among food insecurity, food behaviors, and health outcomes in rural children and parents enrolled in a mindful eating intervention trial. Utilizes data from 154 parent-child dyads recruited from Head Start childcare centers in the U.S. and includes breakdowns according to sociodemographics, food accessibility, eating habits, health status, and more.

Resource: Household Food Security in the United States in 2024

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 08:52:12 -0600

Reports on household food security, food expenditures, and use of federal food and nutrition assistance programs in 2024. Includes food insecurity statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. -- USDA Economic Research Service

Resource: Food Security, Access, and Health Outcomes in Rural America: Challenges and Policy Pathways

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:24:36 -0600

A recorded webinar focused on access to nutritious and affordable food options in rural areas and the relationship between food security and health outcomes. Discusses policy and collaborative efforts to improve rural food security. Transcript available below description. -- North Central Regional Center for Rural Development

Resource: Optimizing Access to Fruits and Vegetables in Rural Communities: A Decision-Making Model for the Placement of Produce Markets

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 09:02:59 -0500

Examines fruits and vegetables (FV) access in rural communities and the systems that support FV markets. Analyzes policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change interventions in a rural Texas community and the impact on driving distance to FV markets, service capacity, and financial resources of the community. Discusses the effect of 27 different interventions, provides related data, and includes suggestions on how PSE changes can support improved nutrition.

Resource: Co-Creating Non-Congregate Summer Meals: Engaging Your Community to Design Your Program

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:49:42 -0500

Examines collaborative processes to create successful non-congregate summer meal programs in rural communities. Discusses a pilot program in Florida and offers suggestions related to meal sites, activities for children, caregiver appreciation, and more. -- No Kid Hungry

Resource: The Impact of Nutrition Training Programs on Knowledge, Confidence, and Behavioral Intention Among School Nutrition Professionals

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:26:45 -0500

Examines training programs for rural school nutrition professionals (SNPs) that include flexible scheduling and considerations related to staff and resource shortages. Utilizes observational data and pre- and post-training evaluations to analyze SNP knowledge and confidence to implement new culinary behaviors after the virtual and in-person flexible training format.

Resource: Spotlighting Programs: A Panel Discussion on Exceptional Nutrition Service Delivery

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 11:27:26 -0500

A recorded webinar that focuses on successful nutrition service delivery in Head Start programs across the United States. Highlights actionable strategies from the various food delivery services, including programming specific to rural, remote, and geographically dispersed areas. -- Administration for Children and Families

Resource: Public Transit Supports for Food Access: 2021 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living (CBS HEAL)

Fri, 23 May 2025 10:46:17 -0500

Examines public transit availability and planning, presence of demand responsive transportation (DRT), and DRT services to food retail destinations in 1,956 municipalities. Provides data on demographic disparities in public transit access and planning, including rural-urban disparities. Discusses health impacts of access to healthy food and the importance of planning for adequate public transit.

Resource: Who Regularly Uses the Nutrition Facts Label? Exploring Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Geographic Differences

Thu, 22 May 2025 08:54:29 -0500

Analyzes the consumers who regularly read nutrition facts labels when purchasing food. Utilizes National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to examine label use by demographic and household characteristics, dietary and spending behaviors, nutrition information use measures, and geographic characteristics, including small/medium metropolitan area versus nonmetropolitan area. -- USDA Economic Research Service

Resource: SUN Meals To-Go (Non-Congregate Summer Meal Service)

Tue, 13 May 2025 11:22:33 -0500

Provides information on implementation requirements of non-congregate meal service (SUN Meals To-Go) in low-income, rural areas. Includes resources as well as policies on site caps, site proximity, parent and guardian pick-up, and more. -- USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Event: 2026 Biennial National Rural Grocery Summit

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 10:53:56 -0500

Fargo ND
May 5, 2026

Resource: Food Security Status Across the Rural-Urban Continuum Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:02:16 -0500

Examines food insecurity across the rural-urban continuum and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food access in various locations. Utilizes 2015-2019 and 2020-2021 Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS FSS) data to analyze food security according to urban, large rural city/town, small rural town, or isolated rural town/area. -- U.S. Census Bureau

Resource: County Characteristics Associated With Receipt of Food Boxes Through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 09:48:50 -0500

Reports on county-level food box distribution through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program between May 2020 and May 2021. Provides data on program funding and characteristics of food distributed by program round. Examines associations between likelihood of receiving food boxes and county-level rurality, access to food, and other demographic factors. -- USDA Economic Research Service

Resource: Rural Households Accounted for Nearly One-Sixth of U.S. Food-Insecure Households in 2023

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:49:42 -0600

Charts depicting the share of food insecurity in 2023 by residence area type. -- USDA Economic Research Service

Resource: Number of Census Tracts Classified Low Income and Low Access to Foodstores Increased in U.S. Urban and Rural Areas from 2015 to 2019

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 10:15:53 -0600

Bar chart comparing number of rural and urban census tracts classified as either or both low-income and low foodstore access between 2015 and 2019. Discusses reasons for the changes over time. -- USDA Economic Research Service

Funding opportunity: Tribal Agriculture Fellowship (TAF)

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 13:11:49 -0600

Fellowships to help Native students achieve their educational goals leading to careers in agriculture.

Resource: Identifying Areas of High Vulnerability for Rural Veteran Food Insecurity

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 09:31:13 -0600

Examines and locates veteran food insecurity in rural areas by mapping areas of high vulnerability with geographic information systems (GIS). Utilizes multiple data sources to map out Veterans Health Administration (VHA) locations, food deserts, high veteran population density, low community health rankings, and more. Shows locations in the U.S. that have a high population of veterans and food insecurity that are near a VHA location and may benefit from interventions.

Resource: Fiscal Years 2021-2023 USDA Report to Congress on Reducing Barriers to Food Access

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 13:31:28 -0600

Examines federal strategies between October 2020 and September 2023 to improve food access in the United States. Discusses resilient food systems, nutrition assistance programs, safety and sustainability, and research and evaluation activities. Includes examples of rural and tribal development, food policy, and funding. -- USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Resource: Barriers to Access to Local Produce in an Early Childhood Setting in Rural Appalachia

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 11:53:25 -0500

Analyzes access to fresh produce in early childhood programs in Appalachia as well as farm to school programming. Utilizes semi-structured interview feedback with program directors to examine issues such as staffing, increased work loads, regulations, and lack of funding, knowledge, parental involvement, and equipment.

Resource: Assessing SNAP Participants' Fitness for Work: Final Report

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 12:08:12 -0500

Examines how assessments are made and implemented regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements. Discusses variations of work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) across 4 case study states: Georgia, Maryland, Texas, and Wisconsin. Includes SNAP applicant characteristics and determinations for work requirements by demographic information and urbanicity of metropolitan, micropolitan, or rural. Provides feedback from rural SNAP staff regarding difficulties assessing SNAP participants' fitness for work. -- USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Resource: Trends in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Rates: Fiscal Year 2020 and Fiscal Year 2022

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 10:05:36 -0500

Presents information on eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) alongside actual participation in SNAP. Presents information on households, children, elderly, refugees, low-income families, persons with disabilities, and other groups enrolled in the program. Tables A.3 and B.3 show rural versus urban participation. -- USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Resource: 2023 Summer Non-Congregate Meal Service: Results from the 2023 Summer Non-Congregate Sponsor Survey

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 09:38:39 -0500

Evaluates the implementation of the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which permanently allowed for rural non-congregate meal service as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Meal Programs. Provides 2023 survey data from State agency sponsors operating summer non-congregate meal service for children, with a focus on site participation, sponsor experiences, meal pick up sites, meal delivery, and future plans for non-congregate meal service. -- USDA Food and Nutrition Service