The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) invested $50 million in 118 partnerships to expand access to conservation assistance for climate-smart agriculture and forestry in fiscal year 2022.
What are Equity Conservation Outreach Cooperative Agreements?
The Equity Conservation Outreach Cooperative Agreements, administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) fund two-year projects to expand the delivery of conservation assistance to farmers who are new to farming, low income, socially disadvantaged or military veterans. Projects support USDA’s broader effort to address climate change and equitable access to programs. The program encourages new partnerships and the development of state and community leadership for underserved producers. Here is a list of the agreements selected for funding in fiscal year 2022.
Fiscal Year 2022 cooperative agreements
| Recipient | Org-Website | Award-Amount | Project-Info | Geographic-Reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council for Healthy Food Systems | https://healthyfoodsystems.org/ | $ 238,200 | Provide on-the ground training and technical assistance for beginning farmers/ranchers (BFRs), with a particular focus on veteran farmers/ ranchers (VFRs). | TX |
| Sand County Foundation | https://sandcountyfoundation.org/ | $ 342,700 | Amplify the reach and impact of the Land Ethic Mentorship for Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers. | Nationwide |
| Southern Sky Center for Diverse Arts and Culture Inc. | https://southernskycenter.org/ | $ 202,500 | Conduct expansive outreach to the farming communities made up of the next generation of farmers, minority food growers and specifically underserved communities of farmers and ranchers implementing natural resources conservation practices which play an important role in decreasing food safety risks on the farm while incorporating sustainable conservation practices through the Village Community Garden Urban Ag project. | GA |
| Center for Rural Affairs | https://www.cfra.org/ | $ 223,100 | Train Nebraska Conservation Fellows: representatives from underserved audiences as advocates for farm/ranch resource conservation. | NE |
| Food Group Minnesota Inc. | https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org/ | $ 268,365 | Enhance Conservation Assistance for Minnesota BIPOC Farmers through Partnerships and Hands-on Learning. | MN |
| Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust | https://rgalt.org/ | $ 171,900 | Provide limited resource and socially disadvantaged agricultural landowners with technical assistance to access agency private land conservation funding programs with a primary focus on promoting the NRCS-ACEP/ALE program. | NM |
| Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association | https://www.oeffa.org/ | $ 310,863 | Provide conservation outreach, education, and technical assistance to further equity and justice for Ohio's historically underserved farmers. | OH |
| Mill City Grows | https://www.millcitygrows.org/ | $ 134,500 | Develop a new clearinghouse for beginning, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged farmers in the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts to build and strengthen the local food system by extending opportunities for land improvement, conservation planning, and economic sustainability to historically under-resourced growers. | MA |
| South Texas Advancement Resource | https://www.starprograms.org/ | $ 355,000 | Develop and implement effective natural resources conservation practices in order to address environmental quality issues and address the serious lack of community outreach and technical assistance for mostly Hispanic, Historically Underserved Producers in the South Texas Region. | TX |
| Institute for Community Research | https://icrweb.org/ | $ 158,698 | Create a partnership between the five conservation district offices located across Connecticut with the CT Youth Food Program Alliance, a network of youth-serving urban agriculture programs in Connecticut cities, to educate urban agriculture programs about Climate Smart Agriculture practices for implementation at urban agriculture sites; and to evaluate the impact of these practices on urban gardens, community perceptions of farming, and youth engagement in urban gardening/farming programs. | CT |
| Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust Inc. | https://www.pocassetlandtrust.org/ | $ 173,593 | Outreach and Technical Assistance for Veteran and Limited Resource Farmers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. | MA,RI |
| Louis E. James (MCL JASCO) | n/a | $ 600,000 | Provide awareness, education and live demonstrations to historically underserved and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers with a focus on introducing Climate Smart conservation practices that are important to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering carbon to mitigate the impact of climate change. | AL,FL,GA,MS,NC,TN |
| Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc. | https://www.cbf.org/ | $ 449,300 | Provide outreach to historically underserved farmers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. | MD,PA |
| Africulture | https://learnafriculture.com/ | $ 205,361 | Build capacity for historically underserved farmers in Virginia to enable them to access NRCS programs. | VA |
| Center of Southwest Culture, Inc. | https://www.centerofsouthwestculture.org/ | $ 227,883 | Provide limited-resource, socially disadvantaged Indigenous and Hispanic/Latino beginning farmers with a series of culturally and linguistically informed soil regeneration, water conservation, and farm development training workshops to improve or establish their conservation practices and build their small-scale farming success. | NM |
| New York Restoration Project | https://www.nyrp.org/en/ | $ 354,000 | Strengthen climate-adaptive urban farming skills and practices of New York City beginner and socially disadvantaged urban growers through the Urban Grower-to Grower Exchange Program. | NY |
| Friends of Zenger Farm | https://zengerfarm.org/ | $ 199,000 | Mentoring and apprenticeship program for Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers on Climate-Smart Agriculture, in Portland, Oregon. | OR |
| The Center for Popular Research, Education and Policy | https://www.windriverfoodsovereignty.org/ | $ 334,716 | Increase access to resources that will enable American Indian and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers to start or expand their production using regenerative agricultural practices on the Wind River Reservation. | WY |
| Alabama's Mountains, Rivers, and Valleys RC&D | https://amrvrcd.org/ | $ 100,000 | North Alabama Next Generation Agriculture: Climate Smart Agriculture Technology and Career Training for Underserved Students. | AL |
| Waianae Community Re-Development Corporation | https://www.maoorganicfarms.org/ | $ 693,300 | Collaborate with participating farms to create a hands-on, real-world experiential learning environment to engage college students and youth in tropical food production systems that employ regenerative and climate smart production methods. | HI/PIA |
| Southwest Indian Agricultural Association, Inc. | https://www.swindianag.com | $ 177,380 | Expand the delivery of conservation assistance to historically underserved Native American farmers and ranchers on tribal lands in the Southwest region of the US. | AZ |
| West Central Missouri Community Action Agency | https://wcmcaa.org/ | $ 151,000 | Enhance West Central's current food systems program and add to the already robust farmer outreach and assistance work. | MO |
| Black Thumb Farm | https://www.blackthumbfarm.org/ | $ 102,100 | Prepare high-school aged historically underserved farmers for careers in the fields of agriculture and natural resource management, while addressing local natural resource issues in Los Angeles County using indigenous and regenerative climate-smart agricultural practices. | CA |
| Rolling Hills Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. | https://www.rollinghillsrcd.net/ | $ 97,947 | Organize community outreach events where underserved and socially disadvantaged farmers and landowners are introduced and educated on NRCS programs and University of Georgia County Extension programs. | GA |
| Advocates for Urban Agriculture | https://www.auachicago.org/ | $ 230,300 | Support a network of growers that enhance Good Practices for Growing in Chicago programs to better support conservation improvements at urban farms and gardens throught the city. | IL |
| Pecan Street Inc. | https://www.pecanstreet.org/ | $ 425,326 | Improving racial equality and inclusivity in access to NRCS resources and adoption of climate-smart agriculture. | NY,CAR/PR,TX |
| The Kohala Center, Inc. | https://kohalacenter.org/ | $ 454,400 | Demonstrate and promote indigenous and western conservation agricultural practices to increase food security and climate change adaptation while creating business opportunities and developing a new generation of leaders. | HI/PIA |
| In Touch Community Services Inc. | https://www.in-touch.org/ | $ 355,000 | Address barriers and racial disparities faced by African American Farmers and Ranchers (AAFR) in accessing trustworthy information and participating in agricultural programs provided by NRCS, in the areas of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and the development of urban small-scale agriculture. | MS |
| Clemson University | https://www.clemson.edu/ | $ 579,597 | Increase adoption of agricultural practices by underserved farmers to mitigate climate change in South Carolina. | SC |
| Daryl A. Orage (individual) | n/a | $ 278,156 | Soil Stewards: Helping Small Family Farmers Implement Soil Conservation Practices across Generations. | SC |
| Farm Training Collective NYC INC d.b.a. Farm School NYC | https://www.farmschoolnyc.org/ | $ 382,700 | Create climate-smart farming and natural resources management training, mentorship and community for and by BIPOC and LGBTQI+ farmers and remove barriers that historically underserved beginning farmers encounter in traditional training spaces. | NY |
| World Farmers, Inc. | https://www.worldfarmers.org/ | $ 409,700 | Initiate farmer-led whole-farm conservation planning and promote climate smart conservation practices for historically underserved immigrant and refugee farmers. | MA |
| North Carolina A&T State University - Dr Chyi-Lyi-Liang | https://www.ncat.edu/employee-bio.php?directoryID=1296831634 | $ 707,389 | Generating racial equity and justice by Empowering and Engaging Underserved farmers to adopt conservation Practices (GREEN UP) funding. | NC |
| National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) | https://www.ncat.org/ | $ 279,100 | Investing in Underserved Farmers to Regenerate Their Farms' Ecologies. | CA,AL,FL,GA,LA,MS |
| Limestone Valley RC&D | https://www.limestonevalley.org/ | $ 123,100 | Conduct outreach to support market gardening for NW Georgia, expanding existing training at two schools. | GA |
| Rural Coalition | https://www.ruralco.org/ | $ 702,900 | Coordinate Effective Partnerships to Catalyze Resilient Operations for Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers. | AL,CA,FL,NC,CAR/PR,TX |
| Board of Regents, Univ. of NE, University of Nebraska-Lincoln | https://www.unl.edu/ | $ 297,800 | Climate Smart Indigenous Agriculture: Drought and Conservation Planning and Adaptation with New Mexico. | NM |
| Knik Tribe | https://kniktribe.org/ | $ 319,500 | Soil and nutrient management for small farms and beginning farmer development in historically underserved communities. | AK |
| Chaz J Shelton (Individual) | n/a | $ 177,200 | Climate Smart Farm for the Future: Growing Diversity. Planning and implementation of conservation practices and principles to historically underserved farmers and ranchers through the introduction of climate-smart agriculture education. | AZ |
| Foodshed Alliance | https://foodshedalliance.org/ | $ 135,100 | Outreach to Historically Underserved Farmers in New Jersey to Improve Racial Equity and Combat Climate Change through Climate Smart Agriculture Practices on Preserved Land. | NJ |
| Michigan Food and Farming Systems | https://www.miffs.org/ | $ 175,490 | Great Lakes Technical Assistance Navigators Pilot Program for Climate Resiliency in Historically Underserved Communities. | MI |
| Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indian (TMBCI) Agriculture Department | https://tmchippewa.com/ | $ 697,000 | Demonstrate the effectiveness of industrial hemp as a Climate Smart crop, with the potential to improve soil health, incentivize community engagement, and expand economic opportunities. | ND |
| Florida A&M University | https://www.famu.edu/ | $ 704,200 | Racial Equity and Justice to Enhance Conservation Efforts in FL, South AL, and South GA. | FL,GA,AL |
| Charles Sherrod Community Development Corp. | http://www.thecscdc.com/ | $ 708,300 | The Climate-Smart Farm: Educating Socially Disadvantaged Farmers on Conservation, NRCS Programs, and Resilient Farming Models. | GA |
| Nolo Martinez (Individual) | n/a | $ 747,200 | Add climate-smart agriculture to outreach efforts to assist producers with planning and implementing conservation practices and principles. Through a combination of outreach, training, and farm demonstrations, the project's technical assistance will focus on removing barriers to access information and programs, expanding cultural experiences of limited resources, and socially disadvantaged farmers. Develop a competitive and qualified pool of bilingual candidates to grow NRCS and USDA, culturally proficient professionals. | CA,IN,LA,MS,NC,OR,CAR/PR |
| Sustaining Environments through Education and Economic Development | n/a | $ 158,800 | Sustaining Environments through Education and Economic Development proposed Pathway to Racial Equity program will enhance NRCS and partner resources while addressing legacies of disenfranchisement, systemic discrimination and other inequities. The project will enhance NRCS and partner resources understanding of historically underserved farmers and ranchers concerns specifically focusing on priority area %231 Addressing local natural resource issues, in Escambia County, Florida. | FL |
| Hiki Ola | https://www.hikiola.org/ | $ 177,399 | Create a path for engaging Native Hawaiians (NH)/Pacific Islanders (PI) with NRCS: The project will connect with the NH/PI land ethic, educate, provide assistance, and refine outreach approaches to NH/PI landowners and managers. Achieving these goals will accomplish: (1) more NH/PI applicants, (2) more successful NH/PI applicants, and (3) more conservation on the ground. | HI/PIA |
| The Learning Center at the Euchee Butterfly Farm Inc | https://www.ebflearningcenter.org/ | $ 220,000 | Food Initiative for Tribes: Assisting Native Americans in Implementing Climate Smart Agriculture and Improving Conservation. | OK |
| Golden Triangle RC&D Council | https://www.goldentrianglercd.org/ | $ 211,700 | Developing partnerships and awareness of NRCS through education through outreach and technical assistance, Golden Triangle RC&D's goal is to assist the historically underserved farmers, ranchers, and veteran farmers and ranchers in rural Southwest Georgia to access new technologies, support and raise awareness of NRCS climate change practices, and to utilize federal programs that can assist them. | GA |
| Tyonek Tribal Conservation District | https://ttcd.org/ | $ 310,801 | The Participatory Conservation through Subsistence Agriculture in the Tyonek Tribal Conservation Districts project proposes to leverage existing data, projects, and agency resources within our Conservation District to ensure that current scientific information, conservation solutions, and projects are publicly accessible, culturally-responsive, and serve the ongoing conservation needs identified by the Tyonek subsistence farmers, ranchers, and landowners. | AK |
| Hernan Cavazos Garcia, Solidarity Farm | https://www.solidarityfarmsd.com/ | $ 156,176 | Create a new farmer incubator program focusing on BIPOC community through bilingual farmer-to-farmer mentoring and projects demonstrating climate smart conservation practices. Developing a socially just and locally secure foodshed. Introducing government programs that can help historically underserved farmers become more viable. | CA |
| Urban Transformation Network | http://urbantransformationnetwork.org/ | $ 760,000 | Chicagoland Collaborative Project for the Improvement of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices. | IL |
| Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship | https://www.dga-national.org/ | $ 699,100 | Climate Smart Technical Training and Outreach for Underserved Producers in Grazing Dairy Production. | ME,MI,MN,MO,NY,OH,PA,WI |
| Texas Coalition of Rural Landowners | https://txcrl.org/ | $ 100,000 | Building a Collaborative Partnership through Outreach and Assistance to Underserved Texas Landowners in Implementing Sustainable Conservation Practices. | TX |
| Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund | https://www.federation.coop/ | $ 710,000 | Expand, Increase and Facilitate Racial Equity and Justice Conservation for Historically Underserved Southern Ranchers and Forest Landowners. | GA,MS,TX,AL |
| Mississippi Association of Cooperatives | https://www.mississippiassociation.coop/ | $ 200,000 | Work with historically underserved and LGBTQ+ farmers, landowners and ranchers to operate their own farms and ranches, however, they lack sufficient operating capital, basic conservation and forestry management skills and are very reluctant to seek assistance. | MS |
| Arizona Board of Regents, University of Arizona - Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, | https://extension.arizona.edu/urban-ag | $ 100,000 | Develop the “Urban Ag/Beginner Farmer Program: Demonstration Farm,†at the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, a working example for urban and small-scale farmers in Arizona. | AZ |
| National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association | http://nlfrta.org/ | $ 710,000 | Facilitate access to NRCS technical assistance services among historically Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), specifically underserved Latino farmers and ranchers to provide education in farm management, including the design and implementation of farm-level Conservation Plans and the adoption of water conservation practices and technologies. | NM |
| SDFR Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University | https://sites.alcorn.edu/socially-disadvantaged-farmers/ | $ 710,000 | Improve the success of socially disadvanged farmers and ranchers (SDFR) and to contribute to increases in participation of SDFR in USDA, NRCS programs and practices by addressing local natural resource issues and developing state and community-led conservation leadership for historically underserved producers, including training students for careers in natural resources management. Specifically, the Policy Center works with the MCJ to assist heirs' property owners in clearing title to the property with the intent of them working with Alcorn State University Cooperative Extension staff and increasing the number of underserved producers participating in NRCS programs and practices. | MS |
| Kevin Golding (Individual) | n/a | $ 179,300 | Provide training to underserved youth in urban communities in field of agriculture; soil health, irrigation, fencing, planting, harvesting, sales, and economic performance of existing agricultural land. | NY |
| Connecting Kids Inside Out | n/a | $ 756,849 | Provide outreach and technical assistance to strengthen existing partnerships and develop new partnerships between NRCS and historically underserved producers and increase the producers' access to information, programs, and resources. | GA,MS,OH |
| Shinnecock Indian Nation Environmental Department | https://www.shinnecock-nsn.gov/environmental | $ 240,700 | Shinnecock's Climate Smart Agriculture Demonstration Farm Site will build the capacity of the Shinnecock Indian Nation to create an agriculture plan that addresses the changing grow seasons and weather patterns. Additionally, the project will provide technical support to the current growers, with staff providing one-on-one assistance. | NY |
| Indian Nations Conservation Alliance | https://inca-tcd.org/ | $ 710,000 | Provide capacity building to Indigenous producers, staff and tribal members to increase knowledge on land uses, identifying problems, assessment of resource concerns and applicable practices/enhancements, development of sustainable financial and business best practices. | Nationwide,AZ,NM,AK,CO,WY,MT,AL |
| Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA | http://www.rafiusa.org/ | $ 708,330 | Expand delivery of conservation services to that targeted farmer population conducting regionally appropriate outreach to introduce approximately 3,000 Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) farmers to NRCS technical and financial assistance programs. | AL,NC,CAR/PR,SC |
| West Virginia National Guard Foundation | n/a | $ 548,100 | Develop a network of conservation-based demonstration sites at four different locations to provide a hands-on learning space with examples of various NRCS-approved programs and to teach the benefits of each programs for beginning farmers program participants. Develop a workforce training program for natural resources career opportunities for adults and high school aged youth in West Virginia. | WV |
| Veterans Employment Base Camp and Organic Garden | https://www.vebcognc.org/ | $ 107,200 | Identify and remove barriers through programs for veteran farmers and youth interns, including; classroom training and hands-on experience including farmers market training and equipment safety, along with networking and mentorship. | NC |
| Alaska Conservation Foundation | https://alaskaconservation.org/ | $ 710,000 | Increase local food production, build capacity of historically underserved and urban farmers, demonstrate cold-climate farming, connect urban communities and isolated native villages with organizations working on food security, and engaging Tribal Conservation Districts in the efforts. | AK |
| The 1890 Universities Foundation | https://www.1890foundation.org/ | $ 406,000 | Partner with USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to identify and prepare students from 1890 land-grant universities for career opportunities with the Federal Government. | DC |
| Unity Temple Family Church | https://www.facebook.com/utfchurch/ | $ 400,000 | Increase knowledge and awareness of conservation issues in the local area and to provide viable alternatives utilizing innovative practices, technical assistance, hands-on learning, field demonstrations and expansive Career Pathways training for leadership development and generational succession. | OK |
| Tonya Smith | n/a | $ 114,957 | Provide a sustainable agriculture education outreach to socially disadvantaged and new farmers and, educating elementary and middle school students on the benefits of utilizing natural resources. | KY |
| Dream Green Conservation, LLC | n/a | $ 461,500 | Accelerate and promote outreach and educational assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Landowners, Farmers, and Ranchers (SDLFR) in Mississippi and with focus on the Mississippi Delta to increase accessibility and participation in USDA programs. | MS |
| Regents of the University of Minnesota - Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture | https://misa.umn.edu/ | $ 106,783 | Implement an intensive graduate student mentorship and training cohort to equip and encourage twelve future leaders to serve underserved producers through careers in agricultural conservation. | MN |
| GreenSky Gives Inc. | https://greenskygives.org/ | $ 684,200 | Provide conservation outreach, technical assistance, access, and participation in USDA services equipping historically underserved - socially disadvanted farmers and ranchers (HUSDFRs) with information and skills owning/operating profitable farm businesses. | AL,MS |
| Coeur d'Alene Tribe | https://www.cdatribe-nsn.gov/ | $ 242,799 | Assist the Tribe to reach its goal of preparing the watershed for the return of smlich (salmon) to the Coeur d'Alene Reservation by working to enroll Tribal lands into conservation programs. | ID |
| James Bunch (Individual) | n/a | $ 461,900 | Train historically underserved individuals and socially disadvantaged youth on small scale farming producing vegetable crops utilizing the seasonal high tunnel system and non-production enterprises such as food hubs, processing facilities and farmer's markets. | MS,AR,IA |
| Soil & Water Conservation Society | https://www.swcs.org/ | $ 257,300 | Activate SWCS's diverse conservation community, listen and learn through virtual roundtables and use inclusive facilitation methods that identify barriers, opportunities, successes, and solutions for how conservation professionals can better deliver USDA NRCS conservation programs to historically underserved producers to address local natural resource concerns. | IA |
| Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College | https://fdltcc.edu/ | $ 426,900 | Expand Fond du Lac's Producer Training Program (PTP) that provides training, tools, and land to beginning famers, to build and strengthen market access for emergent farmers and producers and to establish an Inter-Tribal network focused on expanding Tribal networks and food distribution in Minnesota. | MN |
| Intertribal Agriculture Council | https://www.indianag.org/ | $ 710,000 | Provide outreach and education to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in Native communities. | Nationwide |
| Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project, Inc. | http://www.obhrpi.org/ | $ 638,000 | Build upon more than two decades of experience and trust within the Native American and Black farming communities to empower historically underserved socially disadvantaged (SDA) producers to adopt climate smart practices that build resiliency on their agricultural operations. The collaborative effort will equip, educate, and empower SDA producers to participate in local working groups. | OK,TX |
| Roots 2Empower | https://roots2empower.org/ | $ 177,500 | Provide Experimental learning including soil and nutrient management through soil sample testing on the farm, planting, harvesting and educational workshops . | RI |
| California Association of Resource Conservation Districts | https://carcd.org/ | $ 609,600 | Better serve underserved communities by increasing the ability of the NRCS and Califorina Resource Conservation Districts to perform outreach and provide assistance. | CA |
| Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success | https://www.refugeesuccess.org/ | $ 706,300 | Deliver climate-smart agricultural knowledge, programs, and resources with 120 historically underserved farmers across New Hampshire and other parts of New England. The project will extend and expand farmer knowledge with bilingual video trainings on climate-smart farming topics. | NH,MA,RI,CT,ME |
| Alaska Village Initiatives | https://akvillage.org/ | $ 440,528 | Expand AVI's existing development programs to advance the socially disadvantaged communities. | AK |
| Christopher M Wood (Individual) | n/a | $ 515,400 | Facilitate the growth and development of the historically underserved & disadvantaged farmers/growers located in two areas of the country, Washington, DC and four counties in North Carolina. | DC,NC |
| Morehouse Parish Black Farmers & Landowners Association | https://www.facebook.com/people/Morehouse-Black-Farmers-Landowners-Association/100077550428438/ | $ 372,200 | Enhance the knowledge and understanding of historically underserved producers related to agricultural conservation practices, through outreach initiatives including field days, workshops, and on-farm demonstrations. | AR,LA,MS |
| Tiger Mountain Foundation | https://tigermountainfoundation.org/ | $ 500,000 | Provide support and resources to BIPOC and other socially disadvantaged farmers to help them incorporate preservation of natural resources and strategies to mitigate climate impacts while increasing their production and teach 1,000 school-age youth and young adults about NRCS careers. | AZ |
| Winston County Self Help Cooperative | https://wcshc.com/ | $ 623,000 | Assist historically underserved beginning, limited resourced, socially disadvantaged, African American farmers, ranchers, and veterans in rural areas. | AL,GA,LA,MS |
| North Jersey RC&D | https://www.northjerseyrcd.org/ | $ 239,600 | Form a Regenerative Farming Network (RFN) in collaboration with NRCS and regional conservation experts, aimed at supporting historically underserved farmers access to information and programs supporting climate resiliencey and climate-smart agricultural practices. | NJ |
| Children Learning through Outdoor Experiences (ChLOE) | https://teachchloe.org/ | $ 390,996 | Enhance access and interest in the agriculture and conservation STEM workforce through field experiences, civic engagement, and leadership for students in California, Missouri, and Virginia. | CA,MO,VA |
| Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture | https://www.ajocsa.com/ | $ 420,104 | Build capacity for climate smart agriculture and conservation leadership on the Tohono O'odham Nation and beyond. | AZ |
| Uncle Jerry's Farms, Inc. | https://www.facebook.com/UJFFoundation/ | $ 535,200 | Conduct outreach to historically underserved farmers and ranchers to provide access to information via drone technology to increase economic yield, adapt changing weather patterns, and enroll additional participation in NRCS programs. | MS,AR |
| Catholic Charities of Louisville | https://cclou.org/ | $ 322,200 | Develop new farmers and teach existing and new farmers strategies and techniques in conservation including water conservation, soil amendment, pest and disease management, composting, and cover cropping; increase local food production, lessen the carbon footprint of food access, and improve farmers' financial health by making farmers' produce available to newly arriving refugees and the public; and improving the local climate by planting trees and developing pollinator habitats at nine existing and four new agricultural sites. | KY |
| Foundation for Community Impact & Health Equity | https://www.facebook.com/fcihesc/ | $ 614,800 | Provide tailored training, education, resources and financial assistance to implement conservation practices and principles with historically underserved farmers and ranchers; increase partnerships between historically underserved farmers, communities, financial institutions, municipal and county governments and schools districts to promote awareness of local small-scale agriculture for healthy food consumption and expose students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds to education focused on conservation and natural resource management/careers in local, environmental friendly agriculture. | SC |
| Georgia Minority Outreach Network | https://georgiamon.org/ | $ 506,500 | Increase the participation of limited resource, socially disadvantaged and veteran landowners in USDA programs and activities by providing providing conservation technical assistance, marketing, outreach, and coaching support for farmers accessing USDA programs. | AL,GA |
| Holmes County Food Hub | n/a | $ 695,800 | Enhance the sustainability and profitability of the underserved Black farming communities, small -scale farmers, and Veterans by integrating conservation technology transfer and improved marketing strategies. | FL,MS |
| Arkansas Land & Community Development Corporation | https://alfdc.webs.com/ | $ 532,500 | Address natural resource issues and expanding the delivery of conservation program assistance to the historically underserved population including limited resource, socially disadvantaged, beginning farmers, and veterans. | AR,MS,TN |
| The Farm Research Cooperative | https://www.farmresearchcooperative.org/ | $ 542,200 | Provide hands-on educational sessions that will assist historically underserved farmers improve the economic and ecological sustainability of their farming operations. | MI |
| Black in Appalachia: Research, Education & Support | https://www.blackinappalachia.org | $ 106,500 | Conduct in-person USDA, NRCS information dissemination with underserved and socially disadvantaged farmers, landowners and ranchers in their own communities, while also maintaining dedicated space at our Whitesburg, Tennessee facilities for drop-ins by the target population. | TN |
| The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) | https://www.uapb.edu/ | $ 710,000 | Identify and remove barriers to historically underserved farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners in the East Arkansas Delta to accessing NRCS information and programs for underserved and socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers and landowners through a combination of outreach and technical assistance in managing natural resources that address the four program prioity areas. | AR |
| The KKAC Organization | https://www.kkac.org/ | $ 710,000 | Increase awareness and utilization of NRCS programs and improve the socioeconomic status and conservation efforts within communities of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (SDGs), particularly African-Americans. | LA,FL,NC |
| Tuskegee University | https://www.tuskegee.edu/ | $ 710,000 | Enhance curriculum and program delivery to socially disadvantaged urban/rural clientele of the southeastern US through a regional effort in AL, FL, GA, and MS-- leveraging partnerships with community-based organizations, corporations, foundations, and faculty/educator participants. | AL,FL,GA,MS |
| The Central Arkansas Sphinx Foundation; A Nonprofit Corp. | https://www.centralarkansassphinx.org/ | $ 649,998 | Assist urban customers in establishing backyard gardens, raised beds, and container grown vegetables. | AR |
| Community Alliance with Family Farmers | https://caff.org/ | $ 185,713 | Increase accessibility of relevant climate smart and ecological farming resources by developing and implementing an effective communications and outreach strategy for Latinx farmers. | CA |
| McIntosh SEED | https://mcintoshseed.org/ | $ 744,500 | Reduce and/or eliminate barriers and strengthen historically underserved producers' (HUP) operations through implementation of conservation and Climate Smart agricultural practices; improved high-quality foods production; access to urban and community markets; establishment of HUP Farmer Cooperative and Cattlemen's Association; and engagement of youth in career-based agriculture and natural resource opportunities. | GA |
| SR1 | https://www.sr1tech.org/ | $ 681,600 | Provide outreach and culturally competent technical assistance via the Community Oriented Opportunities for Learning (C.O.O.L.) Conservation Outreach Project to expand the delivery of NRCS and partners evidence-based resources and conservation assistance and training to historically underserved farmers and ranchers. | MS |
| Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council | https://www.wtcac.org/ | $ 248,529 | Extend NRCS capacity to provide technical assistance and outreach to Tribal Nations and tribal producers in Wisconsin to reduce climate change impact, address natural resource issues, facilitate existing and new partnerships, and support and provide training to Native American Seasonal Workers working in USDA and agriculture placements. | WI |
| California Farm Link | https://www.californiafarmlink.org/ | $ 240,300 | Increase implementation of conservation practices while increasing farm profitability, focusing on historically underserved, beginning farmers, and especially Latino vegetable and berry growers, assisting in accessing NRCS and other funding programs. | CA |
| Third Sector New England, Inc. | https://www.tsne.org/ | $ 603,700 | Deliver a range of conservation assistance and training to 300 beginning refugee farmers. | AZ,IA,KS,NY,VA |
| First Nations Development Institute | http://www.firstnations.org | $ 710,000 | Assist Native communities in advancing ecological stewardship efforts through financial resources, training, and technical assistance (TTA), in a manner that addresses wildlife management, climate change, natural resource management, conservation planning, climate adaptation planning, and coalition building, capacity building, and convening stakeholders. | Nationwide,CO,AZ,NM |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | https://www.utrgv.edu/ | $ 592,700 | Leverage resources from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, a Hispanic Serving Agricultural College and University, and the cultural wealth and knowledge from four key regional partners to help remove linguistic, cultural, and infrastructural barriers to address local natural resource issues; utilizing Climate Smart Agriculture practices and principles. | TX |
| Indian Land Tenure Foundation | https://iltf.org/ | $ 710,000 | Ensure that Native American farmers and ranchers have access to and benefit from the highest-quality carbon credits and that agricultural production systems common on tribal lands, such as grazing, have sufficient published data to enable credit eligibility. | OK |
| American Farmland Trust | https://farmland.org | $ 482,600 | Reach diversified farmers and resource professionals to promote a more resilient food and agricultural system in the state. | NC |
| Economic Development Greater East (EDGE) Incorporated | https://www.edge-us.org/ | $ 701,658 | Collaborate with community partners to expand the NRCS footprint by increasing the capacity of conservation-focused programming to a target audience of beginning farmers, limited resource farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, veteran farmers and community entrepreneurs by developing a 335-acre demonstration and training facility showcasing the resource-rich, sustainable agribusiness opportunities in McDowell County, West Virginia. | WV |
| The Piney Woods School | https://pineywoods.org/ | $ 709,500 | Create a demonstration farm to serve as a training hub to provide socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers with education about sustainable agricultural practices and to attract minority students to careers in farming. | MS |
| National Women in Agriculture | https://www.nwiaa.org/ | $ 710,000 | Develop state and community conservation leadership that will continue to impact climate change concerns and pursue solutions in agriculture productivity to the benefit of all; create orchards on neighborhood urban lots amoung the underserved, imporvershed community; develop two Urban Ag Entrepreneurial Incubator Academies to provide sustainable production training (conservation practices) and mentorship opportunities for new and beginning, historically underserved, producers and veterans in two locations. | KY,OK,TN |
| Jackson State University | https://www.jsums.edu/ | $ 500,000 | Partner with other association to use climate smart agriculture practices that conserve natural resources and create opportunities in food security industries. This will reduce farmers' need for water, minimize fertilizer runoff, cut the costs to run a farm, and produce food in urban environments. | MS |
| American Forest Foundation | https://www.forestfoundation.org | $ 639,800 | Growing the SFLR Network to Reach More Historically Underserved Landowners and Provide Climate Smart Solutions. | AL,AR,GA,NC,TX,VA |
Related Pages
Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) includes provisions that address the unique circumstances and concerns of socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited resource, and veteran farmers and ranchers (“historically underserved producers”).
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One of our top priorities, equity is the consistent and systematic treatment of all people in a fair, just, and impartial manner, including members of communities that have been denied such treatment. Federal agencies have been directed to ensure equity in services, planning, and decision making.
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Across USDA, civil rights ensures equal employment opportunities and program access for all employees and customers. It ensures that every employee, applicant, and program participant is treated with dignity, equality, and respect.
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