'Taxpayers would be really uncomfortable once they find out'
(Photo by Jonas Koel on Unsplash)
(Photo by Jonas Koel on Unsplash)
The Biden administration will shell out millions in grants to recruit minority farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to fill the “diversity gap,” according to a grant listing.
President Joe Biden’s Department of Agriculture (USDA) anticipates handing up to $250 million to minority colleges “to achieve equitable participation” in USDA programs for farmers, ranchers and forest land owners, the grant listing shows. Schools that receive funding will be tasked with developing scholarships and programs for minorities that provide “pathways to federal employment” with the USDA.
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The USDA needs a “diverse” workforce to address today’s “most pressing societal challenges,” which includes “climate change” and “equity,” the grant listing claims. Those eligible for the grant include historically black land-grant universities, hispanic agricultural colleges, tribal colleges, Alaska native schools and other minority schools.
Institutions may receive between $500,000 and $20 million from the USDA in connection to the grant, which is titled “From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals.” The grant was first authorized under a provision in the American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package signed by Biden in March 2021, the listing says.