Funding Will Support Family Farms, Small Businesses, Infrastructure and Clean Energy in Underserved Rural and Tribal Communities
STEVENS POINT, Wis, Dec. 4, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Wisconsin State Director Julie Lassa today announced that the Department is investing over $375,000 in grants for new projects to increase economic opportunities within the Rural Partners Network (RPN) community networks in Wisconsin.
Projects being funded are:
- In Pepin County, a $51,855.00 Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant will be used by Black's Valley Ag Supply, Inc. to install a solar electric array at their facility in Durand. The project is expected to save the business $7,800.00 in energy costs per year and generate 132,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, which is enough energy to power 12 homes.
- A $323,263.00 Household Water and Well System grant will be used by Oconto-based Newcap, Inc. to establish a revolving loan program for homeowners in Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Oneida, Shawano, and Vilas counties, including six Tribal nations.
“This announcement is exciting as it is assisting a rural small business save money on energy costs while becoming more energy independent as well as allowing a non-profit to establish a revolving loan fund to help homeowners with their water and well systems,” said Lassa.
Today’s announcement is part of a nationwide announcement of a new round of investments totaling more than $194 million to support local economic development plans and projects in RPN communities and other neighboring communities across 14 states and Puerto Rico.
The Biden-Harris Administration launched RPN in April 2022 to ensure people in historically underserved rural and Tribal communities receive their fair share of funding from federal agencies. RPN is an all-of-government collaboration supported by 25 federal agencies and regional commissions.
Since its inception, federal agencies have invested over $8.5 billion across the 36 RPN community networks. That includes more than $1.5 billion in USDA investments in locally driven projects that improve local infrastructure, health care, housing, and connectivity. RPN has facilitated almost 4,000 new partnerships and the launch of the Rural.gov website.
Today USDA is awarding more than $194 million in grants and loans to support 118 projects that will help rural and Tribal communities address immediate needs and create sustainable economic growth. Many of these projects are the direct result of collaboration between community networks and federal staff living and working in the communities.
Projects will lower costs for families, create jobs and grow businesses in rural areas that have been a bedrock of the country’s economic success for decades despite high rates of poverty and lack of opportunities in their own communities. Additionally, projects will help communities transition to clean energy and modernize critical water and sewer infrastructure.
Background: Rural Partners Network
Launched in April 2022 and expanded in November 2022, RPN is now active in 36 community networks in 10 states and Puerto Rico.
Community networks receive support from full-time USDA staff who live and work locally. These staff members provide technical assistance based on each community’s needs, helping them navigate federal programs, build relationships and apply for funding. In addition to USDA staff, there are staff at more than 25 other federal agencies dedicated to making resources across the government easier to access for people in rural communities.
RPN communities also benefit from coordination through other federal efforts such as the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization and President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative and Investing in America agenda. The Rural Prosperity Interagency Policy Council, co-led by the White House Domestic Policy Council and USDA, advises the RPN program and ensures rural voices are heard and reflected in national policies that will benefit all people in rural communities.
RPN also benefits from new partnerships with philanthropic organizations to addresses barriers to accessing federal programs with a specific focus on advancing equity and prosperity in rural America. These partnerships will enhance RPN’s work by helping communities develop applications, plan projects, and leverage pre-development expenses and matching funds.
For more information on RPN, visit Rural.gov.
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. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery Subscriber Page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
###
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.