LINCOLN- The Department of Agriculture has announced that they will distribute $550 million to increase access to land, money, and markets. The money will also help fund educational opportunities for students of higher education institutions that will specifically cater to racial and ethnic minorities.

“The idea here obviously is to enlarge the number of people that are engaged in this very important occupation and calling,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said.

Vilsack noted that the farming community is aging and the time to make a resilient system for the future is now.

The money is coming from a combination of ARPA money and the Inflation Reduction Act. The money will go to underserved farmers, new farmers, low-income farmers, and those of racial and ethnic minorities.

The USDA seeks proposals for projects that are “innovative and help move underserved producers from surviving to thriving.” The application deadline is Oct. 28.

Tom Vilsack also touched on debt relief, university program funding, and internship programs.

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