USDA Invests More Than $46 Million for Underserved, Veteran, and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Projects Nationwide

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced a more than $46 million investment in projects supporting America’s veteran, underserved, and beginning farmers and ranchers to help aspiring producers enter the business and improve their skills and knowledge to sustain their operations for years to come.

“Starting or taking over a farm takes courage, and USDA wants to make sure our next generation of farmers have the resources and support they deserve to take that leap,” said Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small. “Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing investments to support beginning, underserved, and veteran farmers with technical assistance and mentoring to build successful operations. These partnerships with local experts help ensure all farmers and ranchers have fair access to USDA's programs and market opportunities.”

According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the average age of all U.S. farm producers was 58.1, up 0.6 years from 2017, and more than one-third are 65 or older. This continues a long-term trend of aging in the U.S. producer population.

USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) and 2501 Program provide education, mentoring, and technical assistance to help underserved, veteran, and beginning farmers and ranchers own and operate successful farms. These investments also help provide equitable participation in USDA agricultural programs.

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Grants

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) is administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The 46 projects funded at $23.7 million include:

• Washington Farmland Trust will recruit and provide 50 beginning producers with personalized technical assistance and connect them with landowners who are ready to transition their farmland to a new operation and ultimately allow beginning producers to establish or expand their farm businesses.
• Nirvana Tea, Inc., in Detroit, Michigan will provide underserved beginning farmers with education, financial literacy, technical assistance and mentoring with a special focus on hydroponic farming, a sustainable, year-round farming system.
• Augusta Locally Grown, Inc. in Georgia will provide individual farm plots, mentorship, climate-smart agricultural training, business plan development, and more to help beginning farmers improve and sustain farming operations.

2501 Program Grants

The 2501 Program is administered by the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE). The program awarded $22.6 million to 31 Fiscal Year 2024 grantees. Among them:

• Tanka Fund in South Dakota will provide technical assistance to Native American and Native veteran buffalo producers on marketing, food distribution, and value-added product development for local and regional food supply markets.
• The Florida International University Board of Trustees will teach veterans and youth from underserved neighborhoods in Broward and Miami-Dade counties about climate-smart and sustainable farming, incubator farms, local food system production, and financial management.
• Wakulima USA in Washington State will provide a support system for immigrant and refugee farmers in South King County including training to help access farmland, improve production skills and facilities, and establish and expand market connections.

More information about the funded projects is available at the USDA 2501 Program website.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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