SU Ag Center continues its partnership with the NMSDC Acres Program
Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center (SU Ag Center) and the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) have continued their partnership to enhance NMSDC’s 2025 Acres: Cultivating Equity in Black Agriculture program.
In its second year as NMSDC’s educational partner, the Southern University Ag Center will continue to provide instructors and course material for the Acres 12-week learning curriculum focused on growing program participants’ capacity to take on major national contracts with NMSDC corporate members.
Upon completion of the course, the Ag Center will conduct participant assessments to enhance the learning content provided to the cohort.
Applications for the 2025 Acres cohort will be accepted until Dec. 2, 2024. To be eligible, applicants and their businesses must:
- Be a farmer with an agriculture-for-profit enterprise and physically located in the U.S. or its trust territories with revenue of at least $25,000 per year.
- Be a minority-owned business that is at least 51% Black-owned, managed, and controlled. Participants must meet the African American/Black definition as set by NMSDC.
- Be managed and operated by the Black ownership member(s).
- Have two years of farming experience.
- Be registered with the Secretary of State in the state where business is conducted.
- Have a business bank account.
- Have proof of U.S. citizenship.
- Agree to become NMSDC-certified.
Interested applicants can apply at https://nmsdc.org/programs/acres-cultivating-equity-in-black-agriculture/.
NMSDC established the Acres program, formerly known as the Black Farmers Equity Initiative, in 2022 in partnership with Cargill. The program is designed to help Black minority business enterprises (MBEs) in the agriculture industry. NMSDC also welcomed The Compass Food Foundation, Suntory Global Spirits, Bayer, and Papa Johns as new sponsors for the program.
To learn more about the program and to apply, please visit nmsdc.org/acres-cultivating-equity-in-black-agriculture.