Recipient Organization
INTERTRIBAL AGRICULTURE COUNCIL
100 NORTH 27TH STREET, SUITE 500
BILLINGS,MT 59101
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Since 1987, the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) has promoted the Indian use of Indian resources for the benefit of the Indian People. Contending with systemic oppression, historical discrimination, and purposeful exclusion from generations of USDA programming, posed a bleak reality for Indian producers in the 1980's but presented an immense potential for growth through the eyes of the IAC's founding leadership. Carrying forward this effort has trained the IAC to be the most effective organization in service to our socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers of Indian Country. Working across nearly four generations has rooted our staff in knowing the on-the-ground needs of socially disadvantaged producers pursuing USDA programs. For these reasons, the IAC proposes the work set forth in this cooperative agreement that will not only maintain service to more than 80,000 American Indian producers but will also share our experiences to better inform the USDA's approach to outreach in Indian Country.Programmatic offerings have expanded over 34 years to directly address the needs of socially disadvantaged communities. A robust and dynamic team of Tribal and Indigenous community members and allies distribute a suite of producer-focused resources rooted in promoting equitable agricultural and food systems for Indian Country. Informed by the trade routes and food systems that existed on this continent before colonization, IAC seeks to address systemic inequities to better serve Native producers and Indian Country as a whole.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
As part of a team of interrelated USDA cooperators, Intertribal Agriculture Councilwill agree to provide an array of technical assistance specialized services, including outreach, financial training, mediation access, outreach, cooperative development training and support, capacity building training, land access technical support, technical assistance concerning agriculture production, agriculture credit, rural development to underserved farmers, ranchers or forest landowners and to design and deliver comprehensive programs to reach, through sub-agreements, sub-contracts and sub-grants with other entities with specialized knowledge in either the communities of underserved farmers, ranchers or forest landowners and/or the specific content for technical assistance contemplated by this agreement.The IAC will, with substantial involvement of USDA, collaboratively identify program metrics and evaluation tools and specific content designed to provide advanced technical assistance to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners that will assist them in recovering from the financial and production or market impacts of the pandemic and/or the ongoing disruptions in production, marketing, distribution of products or access to financial services or financial assistance caused by the pandemic or the related disruptions in the agricultural sector impacting the farmers, ranchers or forest landowners who will be served by this programming, and which will prepare these producers for stabilization and growth. Metrics shall include, but not be limited to, identification of the producers who reached through these efforts; the impact made upon those producers and their farming and ranching operations; the ability of these producers to gain access to programs and services operated by USDA; measures of success and improved viability of the farming, ranching and forestry operations of the producers served under this agreement, and other metrics established by the parties.IAC is provided ongoing coordination and substantial involvement of USDA and will ensure that the plans for curriculum development, deployment and evaluation of impact are closely coordinated with USDA. IAC is also be required to co-coordinate with all other recipients of Section 1006 technical assistance resources in a manner as determined by USDA. Individuals who are ultimate recipients of the technical support contemplated by these activities include veterans, limited resource producers, socially disadvantaged producers, beginning farmers and ranchers, producers of agricultural commodities underserved by USDA and farmers, ranchers and forest landowners living in persistent poverty counties and census tracks. IAC is required to provide quarterly reports to USDA and attend ongoing collaborative meetings established and hosted by USDA to coordinate all cooperators receiving support under this Section and for these purposes.IAC will focus on regional and national outreach and technical assistance for producers who are historically underserved and economically distressed. IAC will co-design manuals and curricula related to agriculture credit management, market planning, tax planning, debt servicing, agriculture mediation access, market analysis/reassessment; business planning and business plan adjustment; technical requirements training to fully utilize FSA, NRCS, RD and other USDA tools. Regarding agriculture mediation program access, IAC will co-coordinate with other cooperators and interface with the relevant state mediation programs to assist farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners in access to those programs. IAC will collaboratively determine the most effective means of interaction and engagement with state agriculture mediation programs and will, in cooperation with USDA, engage a national coordinating entity for the state-based medication programs.IAC will engage national and regional deployment of multiple virtual and/or in-person (to the extent possible) efforts providing in-depth assistance to underserved producers. IAC will work in coordination with national and regional cooperative development organizations to build knowledge and assist producers in utilizing the cooperative model (or other appropriate business entity structures) to alleviate challenges in market access, service, or supply chain problems and to better manage business risk. IAC will coordinate with appropriate extension and/or community technical support organizations through sub-agreements, as needed. IAC will coordinate with USDA program managers and FSA loan officers to facilitate the use of USDA's authorities with distressed/historically underserved communities, and with key program officials in NRCS, RD and other program areas of USDA. IAC will incorporate principles into their technical support related to financial assistance, market access and market coordination, land/water/equipment access tools and techniques and key principles related to engagement in building critical agriculture infrastructure.
Project Methods
Expand IAC's national technical assistance model developed to eliminate barriers that Tribal producers face in realizing meaningful technical federal assistance and domestic and international market access.Assist USDA in addressing longstanding systemic discrimination, responding to the immediate need for direct agri-business planning support to individual producers impacted by the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic, debt relief efforts, and impacts of supply chain disruptions to market access.Enhance existing IAC program assistance to respond to persisting program access, financial planning, market development, and land tenure issues that are coupled with a substantial outside interest in Indian agriculture and food system sectors.Provide Indian Country-specific assistance in collaboration with USDA and other cooperators that informs equitable program implementation for current producers and responds to the unique needs of Native beginning farmers and ranchers.Utilizing IAC's array of technical expertise and background in Tribal agriculture, Tribal food systems, Tribal natural resources management, financial planning, agricultural credit issues, marketing, community development, education, outreach, cultural resources, Tribal relations, and intermediary, health and nutrition, marketing, and product development for the betterment of those involved in agriculture.Maintain service to more than 80,000 American Indian producers and share IAC expertise and experiences with other cooperators and USDA to better inform the USDA approach to outreach and technical services in Indian Country.Leverage IAC's Technical assistance model and multiply capacity to meet immediate agricultural business needs faced by historically underserved communities of producers.Coordinate with USDA partners to leverage technical and financial resources that address pandemic-related economic, persisting equity challenges and supply chain disruptions impacting historically underserved producers.Identify and leverage USDA and supplemental resources to support sustainable operations by providing financial training, capacity development, risk management and business planning resources across the country through producer-informed curriculum.Collaborate with USDA to enhance and strengthen training and technical assistance interface opportunities between agency staff, Tribal producers and community partners to inform programming.Contribute to resilient and regenerative underserved economies through informing strategic investment in Indian agriculture and food systems initiatives.Participate in enhanced data identification needs and the utilizing of data knowledge and knowledge transfer to enhance the viability and well-being of historically underserved producers.Utilize funding under this agreement to support the enhancement of existing technical support systems, increase the number and amount of technical support activities IAC currently hosts and supports and amplify the impact of existing technical assistance frameworks. Funding will also be utilized to increase the number and locations of technical support activities in order to provide improved and expansion of on-the-ground assistance in underserved areas of the country demonstrating substantial needs. Resources will be used to develop and expand regenerative finance training, beginning farmer and rancher technical assistance, specialized personnel to respond to domestic market infiltration, accessing credit, farmer advocacy and specialists in rangeland management, horticulture and specialty crops and food processing and value-added food production skills development and deployment.IAC will utilize $5,950,000 to expand its technical assistance activities to prioritize beginning farmers and ranchers, limited resource farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, forest landowners, agriculture producers living in counties that are persistent poverty counties, urban and rural populations facing food insecurity that would benefit by deeper engagement with farmers and ranchers within and adjacent to food deserts, and first time USDA program participants.IAC will also collaboratively cooperate with USDA staff throughout the country in enhancing their working knowledge of effectively serving American Indian populations.IAC will also enhance and augment services provided in key IAC regions, prioritized based on demonstrated need in Great Plains, Rocky Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, Eastern, Eastern Oklahoma, and Great Lakes regions.Funding in the amount of $4,050,000 will support personnel and administrative staff and provided key resources to support travel, IT functions, publications, communications and educational activities, and the direct and indirect needs for enhancement of technical support services.