USDA grants $500K towards CSRA-wide farmer business program

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The USDA has granted $500,000 to Augusta Locally Grown for a CSRA-wide farmer business program that will help them expand their operations.

Augusta Locally Grown (ALG) partners with the Augusta Metro Chamber, the Richmond County Extension, and Gateway Business Services to offer robust programming to CSRA small business farmers.

This project provides tiered agricultural and entrepreneurial services tailored to beginning farmers, to help them improve and sustain farming operations.

Agricultural activities include the Homesteading Conference, individual farm plots, farm training workshops, extension classes, farmer planning meetings, farmer forums and mentorship. Entrepreneurship activities include business training/coaching in three formats (self-paced, small group, one-on-one) and general business workshops.

“This robust program and its unique partnerships stand out on a nationwide platform to strengthen to serve 200 local farmers at a time when farmers are struggling to feed themselves and the community,” Rebecca van Loenen, Executive Director of Augusta Locally Grown, says.

Classes will provide individual farm plots, mentorship, climate-smart agricultural training, business plan development, and more to help beginning farmers improve and sustain farming operations.

Program workshops will start as early as December 2024 and continue through December 2027.

For more information regarding the program, you can contact Chuck Simpson, Program Manager at chuck@augustalocallygrown.org.

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