The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the expansion of the Rural Partners Network to communities in North Carolina.
According to an Oct. 27 USDA news release, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the addition of many towns to the network. The Rural Partners Network is an all-of-government program that partners with people in rural areas to access resources to create jobs, build infrastructure and support economic stability.
“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to ensuring that people in rural communities have every opportunity to succeed – and that they can find those opportunities right at home in rural America," Vilsack said. “Rural people make up America’s spirit and character and provide the everyday essentials our country depends on. We know that when rural people thrive, America thrives."
Rural Partners Network will help to establish community networks in rural areas, allowing local leaders and residents to collaborate with civic organizations and nonprofits, service providers, development agencies and other businesses to create new opportunities and "build on the diversity of a region’s population and perspectives," the release added.
The announcement was part of President Joe Biden's efforts to make sure rural communities have access to federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, according to the release.
Rural Partners Network has selected the following new community networks in North Carolina: Robeson, Bladen and Columbus County Community Network; Glow House Foundation Community Network, including Randolph County; Wilson, Edgecombe, Nash and Johnston Community Network; Halifax-Northampton Community Network; and Albemarle-Roanoke Community Network, including Bertie, Martin, Tyrrell and Washington counties, the release reported.
"By expanding the Rural Partners Network, we can help these important but often overlooked communities receive their fair share of government resources to keep rural people and economies in North Carolina prepared for the future,” Vilsack said in the release.
USDA Rural Development North Carolina State Director Reginald Speight said the program is already paying dividends, according to the release.
“I recently had the opportunity to speak to several North Carolina communities about the Rural Partners Network and its mission to help rural people build prosperity through job creation, infrastructure development and community improvement. County and town leaders were excited about what they heard in these meetings," Speight said in the release. "We are looking forward to continuing this excitement over the coming months and years by helping rural communities connect with the federal programs that can assist the betterment of rural America.”
