Rcdg - grants to assist minority producers

The Rural Business Cooperative Services (RBCS), an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), awarded a $166,363 Project Grant under the Socially-Disadvantaged Groups Grant program (CFDA 10.871) to the Northwest Agriculture Business Center (NABC), a non-profit organization located in Mt. Vernon, Washington.

The grant supports NABC's provision of technical assistance to socially-disadvantaged agricultural producers, particularly minority farmers and ranchers in rural Western Washington. Key services delivered through the funding include cooperative business planning, feasibility studies, operational guidance, training, market research, and outreach to establish, operate, and expand mutually-owned agricultural enterprises. The grant award demonstrates NABC's consistent history of securing USDA funding to enhance economic opportunities for socially-disadvantaged groups in the agricultural sector through targeted technical assistance and educational programming.