The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $12,600,000 investment to the Jackson-based nonprofit To Improve Mississippi Economics (TIME), Inc.
Funds designated to the Mississippi urban service center come from a series of investments designed to increase market access and revenue streams for producers while strengthening the food system and giving consumers better access to locally grown foods and healthier choices.
“Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are growing local economies and building resilient communities, whether rural or urban, in every corner across the country,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting urban communities through increased market opportunities for small and mid-sized producers, strengthening the food system nationally and locally, and investing in urban agricultural operations. These steps will allow families and farmers alike to benefit from healthier food produced closer to home.”
In its collaboration with TIME, the USDA will provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to small, limited-resource, and underserved producers and organizations providing healthy food in impoverished communities.
It will also serve to fund partnerships with community-based organizations in the next 10 cities where urban county committees are being created in 2024.
