The American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Investment program (ARPTAI) ensures equitable participation in the full range of USDA programs and services among underserved farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and operators through technical assistance projects and networks.
Administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the program currently has two cohorts of ARPTAI cooperators. More than $100 million is supporting projects of these 34 ARPTAI cooperators.
The cooperators were selected for their proven track records working with underserved producer communities, such as veterans, beginning farmers, limited resource producers and producers living in high-poverty areas.
NIFA Capacity Program Leader Dr. Ahlishia Shipley said the ARPTAI Program is a key part of USDA efforts to foster equity and reduce barriers to access USDA programs and services.
“Since the beginning, we’ve always viewed this program as a significant opportunity to leverage the deep expertise and community involvement of Cooperators, tying their work to USDA’s overall equity goals.”
“Cooperators are focused on helping clients learn how to navigate accessing USDA programs and services,” Shipley said. “But ARPTAI cooperators are also helping clients build their knowledge of financial record keeping, business management and estate planning. ARPTAI projects are positioning more farmers for success.
ARPTAI cooperators tailor their programs and technical assistance activities to meet the specific needs of their audience; however, their efforts often employ comparable delivery strategies.
Shipley said that while ARPTAI cooperators’ audiences are diverse, their needs center on some common themes.
“These organizations are working with underserved producer communities on business and tax planning, financial literacy, market access, cooperative development and land tenure,” Shipley said. “Many are regional or national in scope and are delivering specialized technical support to benefit the launch, growth, resilience and success of these producers’ agricultural enterprises.
The ARPTAI Cooperator Network has reached more than 61,000 participants through a combination of face-to-face meetings, webinars, online courses and one-on-one technical assistance sessions.
Cooperators have reported producer and landowner success through their outreach and technical assistance efforts to multiple USDA programs, including NIFA’s Food Safety Outreach Program, Farms Loans through the Farm Service Agency, the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Local Agriculture Market Program, the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Rural Development’s Value-Added Producer Grants.
“The program’s key goal was and remains to establish and foster a network of Cooperators who play a significant role as partners to USDA in helping the agency achieve its equity objectives, particularly through identifying and addressing gaps in program delivery, access and participation,” Shipley said.
Program participants echo the sentiment that ARPTAI projects can lead to success.
One participant of Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Sullivan County’s Beginner Farmer Program said this of their first year as market gardeners.
"From incredible guidance and encouragement as we looked at our forest and dreaming to alter part of it into garden beds, the Business of Farming class, the many networking opportunities including the mentor/mentee opportunity/grant, help and assistance with our first farmers market, shared expertise in ag financial statements, and marketing know-how, we couldn’t have done it as successfully—exceeding the financial and quality of produce goals we had set for ourselves—without everyone at CCE.”
A participant in International Rescue Committee’s New Roots Micro-Producer Program, based in Virginia, said the program taught her how to start a garden and produce crops to sell.
“This kind of program gives you hope to improve your life and help communities, too,” she said. “For a long time, I was looking for my life’s purpose, and I found it. New Roots has helped me make my dream come true.”
Learn more about the American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Investment program here.