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Small businesses and farms in rural areas could get grant through USDA

The grant also works to reduce carbon emissions.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — President Biden announced millions for small businesses and rural farms through the USDA. It's part of his Investing in America initiative under the Inflation Reduction Act. 

"So in large-scale farming, they're not renewing the soil, so what we do here is we put in wood chips. The wood chips are pretty much captured carbon," said Sal Sharpe, who owns Sal's Ol' Time Feed and Seed.

She grows vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers. She said renewing soil on a farm is key to success and reducing carbon emissions.

This is one area President Biden is offering $21 million in grant money to help other farmers do, as part of the Investing in America initiative under the Inflation Reduction Act.

"The technical assistance grants announced will provide hands on support to farmers and small business owners seeking federal funds with a focus on renewable energy and systems like wind or solar," the state director of the USDA, Dr. Saundra Glover, said.

She said this would help reduce energy costs and carbon emissions in several areas.

Sharpe said more money in agriculture is great, but it won't impact her farm as much this time.

"We're a small farm so a lot of the practices that they are trying to get the bigger farms to do we're already doing it, such as notill, notill helps keep the carbon out of the air," she said.

Glover said the farms that could see impacts are often overlooked regarding federal funding.

"Almost all of South Carolina will have some distressed communities, particularly in persistent poverty counties," Glover said. "Particularly in the lower part of the state from the midlands to the lower region of our state."

According to the USDA, local and tribal governments, colleges, universities, and more can apply.

The department said it will work with partner agencies to assist farm and business owners with federal funding available.

People who apply for funds can expect to see funds as soon as September.

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