Small Farmers received information on USDA programs and services during Community Stakeholders Informational Meeting at SARDI
Baton Rouge, La. – Nearly 45 small farmers from the Opelousas area received information about programs and services offered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development, Farm Service Agency (FSA), and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) agencies during a community stakeholder informational meeting on June 30 at the SU Ag Center’s Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Institute (SARDI).
The meeting was the first of 12 sessions, one per month, that will be held throughout the year in parishes around the state.
“The purpose of this meeting is to bring program information to you all so we can improve your access to our programs,” said Allison Johnson, Southern University’s USDA Liaison and USDA National Outreach Coordinator-East with the Office of Partnerships and the Public Engagement.
Participants received information on the USDA Rural Development’s Business Development – Intermediary Relending Program, the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) High Tunnel Initiative, and the FSA’s Farm Ownership Loan Program.
Partners for the meeting included: Agromen, Fueling Families, EJMAX Solution, LLC, Muse 3 Farm, the USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, and the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
For additional information about the additional locations of the upcoming Community Stakeholders Informational Meetings, contact Allison Johnson, Southern University’s USDA Liaison and USDA National Outreach Coordinator-East at allison.johnson@usda.gov; or Zanetta Augustine, ANR Program Leader and Assistant Specialist at zanetta_augustine@suagcenter.com.