Funding available to support training for farmers of color, veterans

Historically, farmers of color and military veterans have not had the same access to or rates of participation in the programs administered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA); often this disparity has been due to insufficient or inadequate outreach to these communities. In order to help veterans and farmers of color to enter and succeed in agriculture, the USDA developed the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the “Section 2501 Program”), which helps ensure that these producers have opportunities to successfully acquire, own, operate, and retain farms and equitably participate in all USDA programs. This week, USDA announced the availability of over $8 million in Section 2501 grants to help organizations conduct targeted outreach and provide technical assistance to minority, veteran, and other underserved farmers. The grants are available to support a range of outreach and assistance activities, including farm management, financial management, marketing, and application and bidding procedures.