Increasing Access for Underserved Producers
March 10, 2023

Despite being snowed in at my home in South Dakota, I recently had the great honor to speak virtually at USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum – the Department’s marquee annual event. This was part of a discussion panel called Increasing Access to USDA Programs for Underserved Producers. The session explored the Department’s efforts to reach underserved producers and improve equity in USDA programming.

I touched on how RMA is addressing constraints that impede access to crop insurance or risk management tools and knowledge. The Director of Risk Management Education, Michael Heiserman, was at the forum in-person and helped me highlight our initiatives, including efforts to identify and train crop insurance agents and adjusters on Tribal lands.

It was a wonderful panel that included other USDA colleagues, outreach partners, and Dr. Cindy Ayers Elliott, a farmer from Jackson, Mississippi, who gave a truly moving presentation that received a standing ovation. Dr. Elliott is CEO of Foot Print Farms, a 68-acre specialty crops and livestock farm in Jackson. She stressed that more is needed to tailor services to reach underserved producers. Please take a moment to watch her story and visit her website Foot Print Farms (footprintfarmsms.com).

(L to R) ERS Research Economist Anil Giri, USDA Deputy Assistant Secretary Monica Rainge,
RMA Director of Risk Management Education Michael Heiserman,
Foot Print Farm’s CEO Dr. Cindy Elliott, Rural Coalition Executive Director Lorette Picciano,
at USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum, Friday, February 24, 2023, Arlington, Virginia

Speaking of equity, and building on our recent announcement of funding $2 million in Risk Management Education, I am proud to inform you we have a new contract to assist entities serving underserved communities with their cooperative agreement applications.

Often, organizations within underserved communities struggle with formulating more solid proposals for federal funding due to lack of expertise and know-how. As a result, they are at a disadvantage competing with organizations that have the infrastructure, skills, and knowledge to draft strong applications. With that in mind, we now have a contract with Metaphase, LLC, to help these organizations formulate quality proposals.

This service excludes the emblematic Colleges and Universities (or other public/private sophisticated grant application elements) but is available to the Underserved Communities, Underserved Ag-related Non-profits, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Tribal Higher Education Programs, 1890 Land Grant Universities, Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), and Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU).

RMA encourages interested parties to email rma.risk-ed@usda.gov for more details.

– Marcia

Marcia Bunger is the Administrator of USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). Prior to her appointment, she served as a County Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency. A native South Dakotan, Bunger is also the owner and operator of a 2000-acre farm, a cum laude graduate of Augustana College, and the first member of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and first woman to serve as RMA Administrator.