COLUMBIA, S.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a list of 50 projects selected nationwide for potential funding totaling $300 million. The proposed projects are meant to help improve access to land, capital, and markets for underserved farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners through the USDA's Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access (Increasing Land Access) Program.
Because some of these projects will likely result in land purchase, farm infrastructure construction, and other activities that could potentially impact environmental resources, the USDA is requesting public comment on the proposed projects. The feedback received will be incorporated into the USDA's final assessment of project funding.
Of the 50 proposed projects, these are the ones that could benefit farmers in South Carolina:
2020 Farmers Cooperative's Land Access and Farm Academy Program for Black and Brown farmers in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, and North and South Carolina. The project will leverage the purchase of 450 acres of farmland into an accessible, low-interest rate re-lending program for 100 farmers and establish two Farm Academy hands-on agricultural learning labs. These learning labs will provide trust-based training and technical assistance to 1,688 farmers in 10 different states and territories in the Southeast, Midwest, and Atlantic regions of the United States.
American Indian Mothers (AIM), Inc, Restoring Resilience in Indigenous and Land-Based Communities by Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access for Producers, targets tribal farmers in North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. This project aims to heal cultural trauma through farmland access and cooperation among Indigenous-led regional organizations. This project seeks to form Indigenous Farming Cooperatives (IFC) with similar cooperative entities that create solidarity through which farmland and wraparound technical assistance services can be provided to Indigenous farmers, facilitate educational mentorship programs, and build collective resources.
Agrarian Land Trust's Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access through Agrarian Commons for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color underserved farmers. This project aims to create and strengthen land access with additional opportunities to focus on capital and market access for use in agriculture on a mid-size national landscape using the innovative design of the Agrarian Commons to secure long-term access and tenure and mitigate land loss.
American Farmland Trust's On Solid Ground: Enabling a New Generation to Access Land and Thrive in Agriculture. For this application, underserved farmers and ranchers nationwide include socially disadvantaged, limited resource, LGBTQ+, veteran farmers, and small and mid-sized farms serving local and regional markets or impoverished areas. While this project will work to support this broader group, specific attention in its design and key partnerships have been made to address disparities for BIPOC producers based on geographic concentration.
North South Institute, Inc.'s Regional Implementation of Veteran and Small Farm Incubator Clusters in Selected Southern States: A Pre-Cooperative and Producer Marketing Organization Model Approach with Veterans and Small Farmers in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. Seven clusters will demonstrate how to mitigate barriers to accessing land, capital, markets, labor, and digital literacy and resolve heirs' property issues. These producers (350 - 420) will be on 300- 500 acres of land with four integrated groups of enterprises, including program food crops, specialty crops, ornamental horticulture crops, livestock, and honeybees.
Trust for Public Land's Tribal and Indigenous Communities Land Return and Access Project, in partnership with Indigenous consultants and partners, will work with tribes and other Indigenous organizations across the country to provide technical assistance and support to advance the acquisition and management of agricultural and forestland in ancestral and ceded territory for permanent ownership, production of forest and agricultural products, and forest restoration.
For a complete list of the proposed projects, go to fsa.usda.gov
The environmental assessment is available online for public review. USDA requests comments be made by 5 p.m. Friday, July 14. Comments can be submitted:
- Electronically at: Land.Access@usda.gov
- By mail at: Attn: Michael Mannigan, Grants Management Specialist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, Outreach Office, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, 20250-0506
