U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visits Turn Around Columbus, a nonprofit organization in Columbus, Georgia, focused on investing in youth development and learning opportunities to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs, farmers, and community leaders. I am putting
Secretary Vilsack accompanied U.S. Representative Sanford D. Bishop (GA-2) on his Turn Around Columbus tour and announced $145,000 in funding for the organization. This funding comes from his $1.5 million grant that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded to the University of Georgia’s Archway Partnership through the new Urban County Commission pilot program.
“Urban producers play an important role in the agricultural economy,” said Secretary Vilsack. “We are committed to supporting all producers, regardless of age, business size or location. That’s why the Biden-Harris administration is committed to supporting all producers, especially small and medium-sized producers and producers in Georgia and beyond. has provided unprecedented support to create new markets and additional revenue opportunities.”
This grant will help Turn Around Columbus expand its existing education programs, training, and marketing efforts. We also plan to purchase additional equipment and supplies that will expand the size and scope of our operations to support our mission of developing Columbus’ communities and youth.
USDA has a number of programs working to create more new and better markets for Georgia’s urban and rural producers, including:
- In September 2022, USDA will expand the market for climate-smart products in the United States to leverage the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart production and provide direct and meaningful benefits to production agriculture. To do so, we have launched a historic climate product financing opportunity. small and underserved producers; USDA is announcing $3.1 billion for this effort, including $892.6 billion for 28 projects that will help Georgia producers engage in climate-smart practices and access new revenue streams. Includes $1,000,000.
- USDA is coordinating national coverage to help farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses access new markets and leverage federal, state, and local resources to close gaps for success. , announced 12 new regional food business centers that will provide technical assistance and capacity building. . Georgia is Southeast Regional Food Business Centeralong with Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.
- Through the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Agreement (LFPA) program, the Department of Agriculture has entered into a cooperative agreement with the Georgia Department of Agriculture to procure locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved producers. We are distributing it. These purchases will be distributed to rural and remote communities to ensure they receive fresh, nutritious food while strengthening local and regional food systems.
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