farmers. (Source file photo)
Local farmers learned about available federal grants and loans during a virtual forum hosted by Del. Stacey Plaskett.
Plaskett said she lobbied as a freshman to be on the Congressional Agriculture Committee and continues to serve on it. She listed some federal programs she helped pass in the U.S. Congress for farmers to grow their businesses while conserving the land. The V.I. has been included in the federal drought monitoring program to allow the territory to access disaster funding and for farmers and livestock owners.
She said she secured $1 million for the Farmers in Action Program on St. Croix to rehabilitate a one million-gallon cistern and two smaller ones to provide a consistent water source.
Lakeisha Hood Moise, state director for USDA Rural Development, said the agency offers more than 70 loan and grant programs for businesses and opportunities in housing through the Rural-Business Cooperative, Rural Housing Service and Rural Utilities Service.
“If you are an established business, you are eligible,” she said.
Programs also cover businesses and non-profit entities, cooperatives, federally recognized tribes, public individuals and entities, and rural projects. Borrowers can use funds for expansion, modernization, and land acquisition. They also grant building loans for commercial purposes or to refinance debt. There are also grants for training and technical assistance for small rural public entities.
Moise also discussed grants up to $500,00 through the Inflation Reduction Act for energy projects. The grants cover 50 percent of the project’s cost, with a 50 percent match from the borrower.
For more information, Moise said to contact the Florida USDA Rural Development at 352-338-3400 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/fl-vi.
Rudy O’Reilly, district conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, said his agency works to help landowners develop conservation plans and advises them about design, construction, operation, and maintenance. The agency also protects agricultural lands and natural resources through technical and financial help for landowners.
O’Reilly told the more than 20 participants on the Zoom call about the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and another for conservation incentives, both with generous payments. There are also Conservation Stewardship programs and Conservation Innovation. For more information, visit https://cig.sc.egov.usda.gov/.
There are programs that are also for beginning farmers, veterans, and farmers with social disabilities.
Plaskett spoke at the beginning and the end of the forum and federal representatives presented their programs for more than an hour.
Other speakers included Frank Velazquez, acting Caribbean area director of USDA-NRCS, and Frank Dixon, state director of the VI APEX program, who discussed assistance from their respective organizations.
Plaskett said her goals going forward include working on programs to enhance renewable energy, doubling the micro-grants program from $10 million to $20 million, and increasing sub-grants from $5,000 to $10,000. She is also advocating for the revival of the Tropical Subtropical Agricultural Research program, T-STAR, to research tropical specialty crops.
“This funding increase will strengthen small-scale farming and food security in the territory with direct benefit to everyone in the community,” Plaskett said.
