UGA and USDA partner to fund $1.5 million grant | Campus News

On May 17, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited Columbus, Georgia, to recognize the work being done by the United States Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia, and celebrate the innovative work in agriculture across the state. Vilsack joined U.S. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop for a tour of Turn Around Columbus and announced that this entity, along with six others, will each receive $145,000 in funding as part of the partnership between the USDA and UGA Archway Partnership.

The USDA and UGA announced the following entities are recipients of a one-time sub-award funding opportunity of $145,000 per entity: Change Church, Lowndes Associated Ministries to People Inc., Peachtree Farm, Rockdale County Administration, Southern Sky Center for Diverse Arts and Culture Inc. and Turn Around Columbus.

“This historic investment will create and enhance community gardens and improve food system needs across the state of Georgia,” Arthur Tripp, the USDA Farm Service Agency state executive director in Georgia, said. “We are extremely excited to announce the six recipients of funding who will bring instrumental change to their communities by increasing access to healthy foods and providing education on the importance of agriculture.”

Throughout the past year, USDA and UGA have engaged with hundreds of community members at listening sessions across the state of Georgia to determine how funding from a $1.5 million USDA grant can be used to advance agricultural initiatives and support community garden production in Georgia.

During the listening sessions, UGA Archway Partnership was able to conduct needs assessments of agriculture and community gardens across the state. Archway and other UGA faculty, along with personnel from the USDA, met with farmers and agricultural producers to understand their underlying needs and determined that they would select

six entities in Georgia to receive sub-award funding to create, expand or enhance large-scale gardens and agricultural opportunities in their communities.

This funding comes as part of the USDA FSA’s investment of $43.1 million through the American Rescue Plan Act for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. These actions support USDA’s efforts to strengthen the food supply chain and transform the food system to be fairer, more competitive and more resilient. These investments will also help assist food-insecure communities and serve producers in areas where FSA

historically has not had a presence.