In an effort to celebrate and highlight the work of California’s farmers, farmworkers, and everyone whose work helps to keep the food supply chain flowing, CA GROWN has marked October as California Farmer and Farmworker Month.
Taken from a USDA news release
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $19.1 million in grants to provide training, outreach, and technical assistance to socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers. USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers (2501) Program is managed by the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE).
The following California projects were included:
- The Asian Business Institute and Resource Center in Fresno received a grant of $237,500 to conduct outreach and training to ensure Southeast Asian farmers are aware of USDA programs that benefit their work in terms of financial resources, resources for growth, environmental practices, and long-term economic sustainability.
- The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation received $347,700 for training and education that builds the financial literacy of current socially disadvantaged farmers, socially disadvantaged farmworkers who are current farm operators and prospective farm owners, and socially disadvantaged youth in the Napa Valley.
- Pie Ranch in Pescadero CA received $400,000 for to provide opportunities to beginning and early-stage farmers and ranchers of color, women, former farm workers, Black, Latinx and Indigenous American producers, and people from under-resourced communities, who have experience working on farms and are ready to take the next step to establish a land-based enterprise.
The USDA will fund approximately $17.6 million in grants (PDF, 501 KB) issued to 49 organizations conducting outreach and assistance for socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers in 28 states. This funding is made available through the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020.
The 2501 Program was created through the 1990 Farm Bill to help socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and foresters, who have historically experienced limited access to USDA loans, grants, training, and technical assistance.
The 2014 Farm Bill expanded the program’s reach to veterans. Grants are awarded to higher education institutions and nonprofit and community-based organizations to extend USDA’s engagement efforts inthese communities. Projects funded under the 2501 Program include but are not limited to conferences, workshops, and demonstrations on various farming techniques, and connecting underserved farmers and ranchers to USDA local officials to increase awareness of USDA’s programs and services while filling the needs for increased partnerships. Since 1994, the 2501 program has awarded 533 grants totaling more than $138 million.