Eight universities and colleges around the country will receive $3.9 million in funding for Agricultural Workforce Training grants, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced recently.
The grants, administered through the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, are for rural economic development projects and are part of the NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), according to the Jan. 5 announcement on the agency's website.
“The Agricultural Workforce training grants will provide community, technical or junior college students the skills and tools necessary to secure industry-accepted credentials to join the workforce,” NIFA stated in the Jan. 5 announcement.
AFRI is the top competitive grant program for agricultural sciences in the nation, according to USDA. NIFA awards grants to AFRI for research, education and extension programs that "improve rural economies, increase food production, stimulate the bioeconomy, mitigate impacts of climate variability, address water availability issues, ensure food safety and security, enhance human nutrition, and train the next generation of the agricultural workforce," according to NIFA.
Congress established AFRI in the 2008 Farm Bill and re-authorized it in the 2018 Farm Bill at $700 million per year. However, the 2019 Consolidated Appropriations Act funds AFRI at $415 million.
The eight institutions and programs chosen as recipients for the AWT grants range from Maine to Hawaii and include programs focusing on agricultural learning programs, training programs in agriculture technology, sustainable aquaphonics farming and aquaculture, veterinary sciences and training and apprenticeship programs in climate-smart agriculture, the USDA reports.
