Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is awarding $7.6 million in grants to support projects that will grow opportunity in rural America through job training and economic development. The grants will support communities in 24 states and Puerto Rico, with several projects spanning communities in multiple states. This investment mark the latest effort at USDA to support the rural economy, which the latest Census data shows is rebounding.
“Data from the Census Bureau shows that rural America is beginning to make a strong comeback after the worst recession in history, with rural unemployment currently at the lowest level since 2007 and income growing by 3.4 % last year. This growth has been achieved in large part thanks to the work of cooperative and community-based economic development organizations.” Vilsack said. “These awards will help bolster local and regional food systems, tap into the tourism potential that proximity to America’s beautiful natural resources provides, and help individuals learn new job skills. All these effort are part of USDA’s strategy for a strong rural economy and will help to sustain the recovery that we have begun to see in our smallest towns.”
USDA is awarding the funding through the Socially Disadvantage Groups Grants (SDGG) and Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) Programs.
José Otero-García, USDA Rural Development State Director for Puerto Rico indicated that RCAP Solutions, Inc. is receiving a $244,831 RCDI grant to help 14 recipient communities in Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico to implement Geographic Information Systems mapping. In Puerto Rico, Barros ward in the municipality of Orocovis and Capitanejo ward of in the municipality of Juana Diaz respectively will receive this assistance.
The “Cooperativa de Agricultores del Suroeste” is receiving a $130,775 SDGG Grant to provide technical assistance to a group of socially disadvantaged individual farmers and farmer cooperatives within the municipalities of Lajas and Las Marias.
The Socially Disadvantage Group Grant program provides technical assistance to cooperatives and other organizations that help socially disadvantaged groups in rural areas. Example of technical assistance include leadership training, conducting feasibility studies and developing business and strategic plans.
For additional information in SDGG Program, please, contact Danna Quiles, Business & Cooperative Program Director at Puerto Rico State Office at (787) 766-5355, 766-5363, 766-5379 or 766-5412. For RCDI Program please contact Nereida Rodríguez at (787) 766-5144 or visit our web www.rd.usda.gov/pr.