Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the somali bantu community…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the somali bantu community association (SBCA) is applying to the USDA beginning farmers & ranchers development program grant in partnership with cultivating community (CC) as a subawardee, on a 3-year project entitled growing farmer and inter-organizational capacity to advance multigenerational learning opportunities for socially disadvantaged farmers in maine. This project is driven by the expressed needs of SBCA and CC's stakeholders and represents diverse partnerships among limited-resource farmers and low-income consumers. This project will build the capacity of limited resource farmers to operate sustainable agricultural enterprises with staff support and access to land, inspire young people to retain their heritage and generational knowledge about farming and agriculture, and expand agricultural educational opportunities through partnerships with other organizations and communities that support socially disadvantaged farmers. The SBCA's goal for this project is to build the capacity of limited resource farmers to operate sustainable agricultural enterprises through technical assistance and access to land; transform our local food system through partnerships with other immigrant-serving organizations; and continue to build the beginning farmer pipeline by facilitating farmer-to-youth spaces where youth can learn and/or retain their heritage and generational knowledge about farming and agriculture. The experiences gained during this grant period will enable the SBCA and CC to share what we have learned and assist other farmers and organizations to adapt our model to their circumstances. This project aims to provide enduring expansion of the skills of the farmers we serve and transform land accessibility to support socially disadvantaged farmers in their agricultural pursuits.