Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** as these farmers retire over the…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** as these farmers retire over the next 10-20 years, 370 million acres will change hands. Meanwhile, the number of beginning farmers increased 17% between 2012 and 2017. However, beginning and underserved agricultural producers face enormous barriers to farm viability, due to many factors including rising land prices, inaccessible technical assistance services, and low participation in critical federal agricultural programs. There is an urgent need to improve agricultural technical support, land, and capital programs to ensure that the next generation of farmers thrives. Viva farms is setting a new standard for innovation in this work. Based in western washington, the organization is committed to creating a resilient agricultural future in which historically underserved producers build strong agricultural enterprises and have access to the full range of USDA programs and support. This project will implement a farm viability model that addresses the most pressing barriers confronting historically underserved producers: lack of culturally- and economically-relevant technical assistance, lack of secure land access, and lack of access to adequate capital. By cultivating diverse, cross-sector partnerships with financial and legal entities, higher education institutions, and numerous USDA agencies, viva farms will create a blueprint for farmer training best practices and programs that agricultural practitioners and USDA agencies nationally can replicate.