Visit underscores the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to Land-Grant Institutions
GREENSBORO, North Carolina, January 25, 2024 - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small visited North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University on January 17, to highlight the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ongoing support for agricultural research and education at N.C. A&T and meet with students to discuss potential career opportunities available for the next generation of farmers, foresters, conservationists, and entrepreneurs.
The visit to the Tar Heel State continued a multi-week college tour throughout the United States, which will include stops at Land-grant Universities, 1980s Land-grant Colleges and Universities, 1994 Institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, community colleges, and state schools over the course of the next several weeks. At each stop, she will underscore how colleges and universities like N.C. A&T are working with the Biden-Harris Administration to advance rural prosperity, climate-smart practices, competition, and sustainability. Deputy Secretary Torres Small will also highlight how USDA is making a difference on college campuses, from new funding for education and training to cutting edge research to economic development to build a food and agriculture food system.
The Deputy’s visit to N.C. A&T included stops at four sites where students, faculty and University partners conduct cutting-edge studies and demonstrations to support innovation in agriculture: the Research & Extension Farm Pavilion, the Dairy-Automatic Milking System, the Student Farm, and the Community Garden. N.C. A&T and USDA have maintained a continuous partnership to support the 1890 land grant mission. Multiple USDA investments in N.C. A&T extension, research, and academics has allowed N.C. A&T’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences to provide opportunity to the various communities served by the University.
While on campus, Deputy Secretary Torres Small announced that N.C. A&T received $998,609 in funding through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The nearly $1 million investment will help design a novel user-data program interface platform, utilizing creative approaches and stakeholder engagement, to assist government agencies looking to understand the equity and distribution of research investments and resulting science outcomes.
“Thanks to USDA's partnership with institutions like North Carolina A&T, we are able to invest in cutting-edge agricultural research that helps producers make the best decisions to help their operations thrive," said Deputy Secretary Torres Small. "USDA is proud to invest nearly $1 million to support NC A&T's research efforts and ensure their students are best equipped to be leaders in the agricultural industry in years to come.”
The A1461 Environmental Justice program area is a priority area within USDA NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Foundational Applied Science Program and seeks to advance understanding of environmental justice in the context of injustices affecting food and agriculture, local natural resources, and rural economies that are impacted by climate change. Project Director Chyi-Lyi Liang will lead the collaborative team, which includes involvement from the University of Florida, North Carolina Central University, and UC Berkeley.
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) provided more than $5 billion in support to Land-grant University campuses since fiscal year 2021, offering student-centered scholarships to recruit, mentor, and train undergraduate students for jobs in food and agricultural sciences and related fields. In 2023, N.C. A&T received an $18.1 million NextGen grant from USDA. This five-year project (2023-2028) will help establish sustainable pathways, partnerships, and programs to prepare minority students across the educational continuum – 4-H youths, grades 5-12, and college – for federal and private sector employment.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. Visit our GovDelivery subscriber page to receive regular USDA Rural Development updates.
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