News About USDA Equity Initiatives
A new Equity Commission and a grant program with a 10/25 app deadline
A Beautiful Day in the (Woodlawn) Neighborhood
I paid a visit on Saturday to the 61st Street Farmers Market in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood, a couple of blocks south of the University of Chicago campus. The market is a program of Experimental Station, a nonprofit that, according to its website, “is working to build independent cultural infrastructure on the South Side of Chicago… by fostering a dynamic ecology of innovative educational and cultural programs, small business enterprises and community initiatives.”
Along with the market, Experimental Station is the hub for LINK Up Illinois, which provides Double Value Coupons for recipients of LINK food assistance.
I’ll have some more words and a lot more photos in tomorrow’s issue of Local Food Forum. Please read below about a pair of major initiatives at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to address longstanding issues of inequitable treatment of people of color and other under-represented constituencies.
USDA Announces Its New Equity Commission
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a long history of practices that failed to provide equity, access and protection for BIPOC farmers and other under-represented constituencies. USDA is now working to address these issues by establishing an Equity Commission — an important new initiative announced this past Friday and promoted during Farm Aid’s online Town Hall meeting that day.
The USDA press release, shared below, provides details on the initiative, including a request for nominations for membership on the Equity Commission Advisory Committee and its subcommittee on Agriculture.
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WASHINGTON, September 24, 2021 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it will establish an Equity Commission and is requesting nominations for membership on the Equity Commission Advisory Committee and Equity Commission Subcommittee on Agriculture. The Notice represents an important step towards implementing President Biden’s commitment to create an Equity Commission and the American Rescue Plan Act provision that directs USDA to "address historical discrimination and disparities in the agriculture sector… [through] one or more equity commissions to address racial equity issues within USDA and its programs."
“USDA is committed to advancing equity throughout our Department,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The Equity Commission is an important step in dismantling barriers historically underserved communities have faced in accessing USDA programs and services, especially with regard to access and inclusion in USDA agricultural programs and services. The Equity Commission will be an invaluable advisor on USDA’s continuing march towards justice and equity; we look forward to receiving a wide-ranging and diverse set of nominations from the public to serve on this transformational commission.”
“Today truly is a historic day at USDA. We are serious about our efforts to end discrimination across all areas of the Department and to improving access to services for key stakeholders,” said Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh. “The American Rescue Plan supports USDA’s effort to address equity issues through the creation of an Equity Commission; we understand the importance of involving the public in this process of continuing to build trust among our customers and ensure fair and equitable programming, benefits, and services.”
The Equity Commission will advise the Secretary of Agriculture by identifying USDA programs, policies, systems, structures, and practices that contribute to barriers to inclusion or access, systemic discrimination, or exacerbate or perpetuate racial, economic, health and social disparities. The Subcommittee on Agriculture will be formed concurrently and will report back to the Equity Commission and provide recommendations on issues of concern related to agriculture. Subsequent subcommittees will focus on other policy areas, such as rural community and economic development. The Equity Commission will deliver an interim report and provide actionable recommendations no later than 12 months after inception. A final report will be generated within a two-year timeframe.
USDA is soliciting nominations to consider membership on both the Equity Commission and the Subcommittee on Agriculture. Both seek to reflect a diversity in demographics, regions of the country, background, and in experience and expertise. The Equity Commission and Subcommittee on Agriculture will require substantial representation from those whose mission is to serve or advocate for underserved communities, minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, rural communities, and LGBTQI+ communities. Other perspectives to capture include those from the small business community, higher education institutions, farmworker groups, and members of the American population and communities who bring their personal experiences to the discussion.
Nomination for the Equity Commission and the Subcommittee on Agriculture membership is open to the public and any interested person or organization may nominate qualified individuals for membership. The Equity Commission and the Subcommittee on Agriculture will each be comprised of 15 members. The Deputy and the Secretary will designate a Co-Chair to serve along with the Deputy Secretary as co-chairs of the Equity Commission.
President Biden signed an Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government and committed to creating an Equity Commission as part of his rural agenda and commitment to closing the racial wealth gap and addressing longstanding inequities in agriculture. Section 1006 of the American Rescue Plan directed USDA to create the Equity Commission and funded the effort along with an additional $1 billion in funding to support forward-looking activities that will advance equity and opportunity for historically underserved farmers, ranchers, forest land owners.
The funding will be utilized to remove gaps that currently exist in USDA program benefits, improve access to resources, and restore trust and confidence in the Department for groups that have not had equal access to such resources through a combination of grants, loans, pilot programs, technical assistance, cooperative agreements, and more.
In June, USDA published a Request for Information on Racial Justice and Equity and held over 15 hours of listening sessions with a wide-range of stakeholders to learn about experiences and receive feedback about its programs and services. The information collected will serve as a strong foundation for both the Equity Commission and to ensure these funds are deployed effectively and in response to the needs and priorities of underserved communities.
10/25 Deadline For USDA Equity Grants
Prior to announcing its Equity Commission, USDA announced a pool of $50 million in grants for cooperative agreements to support historically underserved farmers and ranchers with climate-smart agriculture and forestry.
The deadline to apply is end of day on Monday, October 25. Please spread the word with any eligible farmers and ranchers who might benefit from this program.
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WASHINGTON, August 25, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing up to $50 million in cooperative agreements to support historically underserved farmers and ranchers with climate-smart agriculture and forestry. The Racial Justice and Equity Conservation Cooperative Agreements are available to entities and individuals for two-year projects that expand the delivery of conservation assistance to farmers who are beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers.
“Historically underserved producers face significant barriers in accessing USDA assistance for conservation and climate-smart agriculture,” said Terry Cosby, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “USDA is committed to revising programs to be more equitable, and these producers deserve our support as they contribute to our vibrant and diverse agricultural communities.” The projects should help historically underserved farmers and ranchers in implementing natural resources conservation practices that:
Improve soil health;
Improve water quality;
Provide habitat for local wildlife species of concern;
Improve the environmental and economic performance of working agricultural land; and
Build and strengthen local food projects that provide healthy food and economic opportunities.
Projects should remove barriers to access and reach historically underserved groups through a combination of program outreach and technical assistance in managing natural resources that address one or more of the following four NRCS priority areas:
Addressing local natural resource issues;
Using climate-smart agriculture practices and principles;
Encouraging existing and new partnerships; and
Developing state and community-led conservation leadership for historically underserved agricultural producers, including educating and training students for careers in natural resources management.
Who Is Eligible
Entities and individuals who provide outreach assistance to historically underserved groups are eligible, including:
Native American tribal governments and organizations
Nonprofit organizations
Private and public institutions of higher education
Individuals
Historically underserved producers include those who are considered beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers and ranchers.
How to Apply
Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on October 25, 2021. See the grants.gov announcement for details and application instructions.
This NRCS assistance builds on other USDA assistance to help historically underserved producers. In July, USDA’s Risk Management Agency invested nearly $1 million in nine risk management education projects focused on historically underserved producers. Meanwhile, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced in April its plans to establish partnerships with organizations to provide outreach and technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. FSA plans to announce those partnerships in the coming weeks.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is engaged in a whole-of-government effort to combat the climate crisis and conserve and protect our nation’s lands, biodiversity and natural resources including our soil, air and water. Through conservation practices and partnerships, USDA aims to enhance economic growth and create new streams of income for farmers, ranchers, producers and private foresters. Successfully meeting these challenges will require USDA and our agencies to pursue a coordinated approach alongside USDA stakeholders, including State, local and Tribal governments.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.