WASHINGTON, August 8, 2012 - Agriculture Secretary Vilsack today announced the award of 70 grants to tribes, educational institutions and non-profit organizations across the country to conduct training, outreach and technical assistance for socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and landowners. The awards are being made through the Outreach Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (OASDFR) Competitive Grants Program, known as the "2501 program." "USDA continues working to help improve the success of minority farmers and ranchers in today's agricultural economy," said Vilsack. "These grants provide crucial assistance to help institutions who are helping American producers build capacity and increase profitability, and thereby create stronger rural communities." As authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill, the grants awarded today will bring $19 million in new and additional funding to programs and organizations to bolster assistance for socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. Grants will enable recipients to work with prospective farmers as they acquire, build and operate farms and ranches, revitalize the rural economy, and create new, sustainable economic opportunities in the region and nation.
Recipients include new awardees and qualifying programs and organizations that have previously benefited from Department assistance.
New Fiscal year 2012 awards: Alaska Tyonek Tribal Conservation District: Native Alaskan Tribal Conservation Districts: Outreach and Education with USDA Programs $275,075 Arkansas East Arkansas Enterprise Community (EAEC), Inc.: Building Capacity to Manage and Diversify Southeast Asian Agricultural Farming Operations in AR $296,250 Arkansas Land & Farm Development Corporation: Farm and Rural Outreach Support Service $279,917 Seven Harvest, Inc.: Revitalizing Farm Cooperative Businesses in the Mid-South $300,000 University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Program: To assist SDP in owning and operating successful farms and ranches; improve participation among SDP in USDA programs; introduce agriculture related information to SDP through innovative outreach and technical assistance techniques.
$283,181 Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development: Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program $297,632 University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff: To assist SDP in owning and operating successful farms and ranches; improve participation among SDP in USDA programs; introduce agriculture related information to SDP through innovative outreach and technical assistance techniques.
$300,000 Arizona Developing Innovations in Navajo Education, Inc.: Native American Producer Success $296,467 Tohono O'odham Community Action (TOCA): Native Foodways Farmer and Food Outreach Program $231,450 Arizona Board of Regents, University of Arizona: Outreach and Assistance Program for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers in Arizona $296,831 California Hopland Band of Pomo Indians: TAP Meets TEK- Tribal Agriculture Program Meets Traditional Environmental Knowledge $122,131 Central Coast Agricultural Water Quality Coalition: Supporting effective communication between Ethnic Chinese Growers in Santa Clara and San Benito Counties and Agricultural Support and Regulatory Agencies and Organizations $102,993 Colorado First Nations Development Institute: Navajo-Hopi Technical Assistance Project $300,000 Georgia Albany State University: Environmental Assistance and Education for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers in the Eastern Plain of Georgia $243,544 Fort Valley State University: Landowners Initiative for Forestry Education (LIFE) $275,163 Massachusetts Tufts University: Building Capacity for Massachusetts and New Hampshire Immigrant and Refugee Farmers $175,137 Maine Maine Rural Partners: Growing Micmac Farms and Farmers $266,099 Michigan Michigan State University: La Siembra: Enhancing participation of Socially Disadvantaged Latino Farmers in USDA programs $256,491 Mississippi North Delta Produce Growers Association: To work aggressively with local farmers to scale up production and supply vegetables to the plant for value added product enhancement and subsequent delivery to buyers.
$225,000 Mississippi Association of Cooperatives: Infusing, Informing and Implementing to Improve Farm Income $300,000 Alcorn State University: Small Farm Outreach Training and Technical Assistance Project $300,000 Jackson State University: Extend outreach and technical financial and business services to socially disadvantage farmers.
$291,746 New Mexico Regents of New Mexico State University: To meet the needs of SDFR of targeted counties in northern and southern New Mexico.
$297,948 Farm to Table: Farm to Market: Building on Success, Farmers Teaching Farmers How to Grow Their Businesses and Enter New Markets $261,749 Nevada Board of Regents, NSHE, University of Nevada, Reno: Offer one-on-one outreach and assistance through training in Indian land tenure and water rights issues on reservations that can limit the ability for American Indian farmers to qualify for USDA programs.
$285,903 Ohio The Asian Services in Action, Inc.: Refugee/Immigrant Agricultural Project of NE Ohio (RAP-NEO) $237,542 South Dakota The Harvest Initiative, Inc.: Facilitating access to USDA agencies and programs on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation $107,732 Texas Plant It Forward: Refugee beginning farmer initiative.
$150,498 The University of Texas - Pan American: Socially-Disadvantaged Producers Small-Acreage Initiative $300,000 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Alternative Approaches to Sustainable Agriculture Targeting Small Hispanic Operators and College Agriculture Students in the Lower Rio Grande Valley $299,453 Texas/Mexico Border Coalition: South Texas Socially Disadvantaged Producers Outreach & Assistance Project $209,934 Utah Utah State University: Outreach Assistance to Women and Hispanic Farmers in Procuring and Operating Small Farms in the West $298,372 Washington Rural Community Development Resources: Promoting food safety & security by immigrant farmers and ranchers.
$292,500 Wisconsin Growing Power: To assist small and disadvantaged farmers in meeting their economic goals, sharing USDA information, and providing technical training and local food.
$226,568 Oneida Tribe of Indians of WI: Native American Farming Food Initiative (NAFFI) $280,122 Continuing Fiscal year 2012 awards: Alabama Tuskegee University: Small Farm Outreach, Training and Technical Assistance Project $300,000 Alabama A&M University: Facilitating Equitable Access to USDA Programs, Resources and Markets for Socially Disadvantaged $300,000 Arkansas Silas H. Hunt Community Development Corporation: Community Development Small Farm Outreach Program $299,405 California Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation (MANA): MANA: Outreach to Spanish Speaking Farmers in the Central Coast - Phase III $287,550 National Hmong American Farmers: Bridge the Gap: Connecting Small Farmers to USDA Resources II $225,000 District of Columbia Rural Coalition: To assist SDFR in owning and operating successful farms; improve participation in USDA programs; and provide outreach and education on USDA class action lawsuits and claims processes.
$297,103 National Immigrant Farming Initiative, Inc.: Building Partnerships for Rural Prosperity with Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers $210,942 Delaware Delaware State University: Outreach and Technical Assistance for Delaware's Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Forest Landowners $285,858 Florida New North Florida Cooperative Association, Inc.: Effective Utilization of USDA Programs to Facilitate Farm to School and Other Market Opportunities for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers $300,000 North-South Institute: Technical Assistance, Training and Outreach to Socially Disadvantaged and Limited Resource Farmers and Ranchers in Florida and Selected Border Counties in Alabama and Georgia.
$258,085 Georgia Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Inc.: Technical Assistance to African-American Farmers and Ranchers in Southwest Georgia to Advance Viability of their Operations and Participation in Federal Programs $287,291 Fort Valley State University: Changing Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Educational and Technological Approach to USDA Programs (Web Based) $300,000 Southwest Georgia Project: Production and Marketing Development of Socially Disadvantaged Women Farmers in Southwest Georgia $300,000 Hawaii University of Hawaii: Outreach and Assistance in Tropical Pasture and Livestock Management for Pacific Islanders $298,381 Pacific Gateway Center: OTTUS (Outreach To The Under Served Project) $300,000 Louisiana Southern University Agricultural Research & Extension Center: Outreach and Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers in Louisiana $300,000 Maryland University of Maryland, Eastern Shore: Small Farm Training Institute for Limited Resource and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers $300,000 Missouri Lincoln University: Continuing to Promote USDA Outreach Programs and Sustainable Agriculture.
$299,984 Mississippi Alcorn State University: Supplemental Grant to Launch Phase I of the Establishment of the Policy Institute for Rural Communities and Small Farmers and Ranchers.
$300,000 Winston County Self Help: Energizing Rural Communities with Outreach and Assistance $300,000 Montana Little Big Horn College: Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers 2012 to 2013 $185,706 North Carolina Operation Spring Plant: Developing Tools Boxes for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers in Selected North and South Carolina and Georgia Counties.
$300,000 NCABL Land Loss Prevention Project: From Discrimination to a Future in Farming II $300,000 Black Family Land Trust, Inc.: Wealth Retention and Asset Protection program for African American farmers and landowners in AL, MS, and SC $262,500 Whitaker Small Farm Group, Inc.: Hands on Training: Assisting Socially Disadvantaged Farmers in Successful Farm Ownership and Operation.
$300,000 New Mexico Hispanic Farmers Ranchers of America: HFRA'S Socially Disadvantaged Farmers & Ranchers Settlement Project in Conjunction with USDA- OAO $300,000 Taos County Economic Development Corporation: TCEDC's Value-Added Learning Center for Outreach & Education $284,058 New Mexico Acequia Association: Improving engagement of Hispanic farmers and ranchers in USDA.
$202,518 New York National Audubon Society: Audubon Arkansas NATIVE (Native Agriculture to InVigorate Ecosystems) Project $300,000 Ohio National Network of Forest Practitioners: Southern Outreach and Assistance Resources for Forestry Project $300,000 Oklahoma Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project, Inc.: Enhancing communication and access to USDA programs for small and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in Oklahoma $300,000 National Women in Agriculture Association: Outreach Education for Beginning, Young & Minority Farmers, Ranchers and Producers $396,250 South Carolina United Farmers USA: USDA program enhancement project for SC socially disadvantaged farmers, beginning farmers, ranchers, forest land owners, veterans, and youth.
$300,000 Virginia Virginia State University: Outreach, Training, and Technical Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers, Ranchers, and Forest Landowners in Virginia $300,000 Wisconsin Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council: Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council Agricultural Outreach Program $300,000 Funding of individual recipients is contingent upon their meeting the terms of the loan, grant, or loan/grant agreement.
# USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
