SPARKS, Nev. -
September 26, 2023The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA), alongside the
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Foundation, is
seeking participants for the 2023 Women’s Farm2Food Accelerator Program. This
is the third year the workforce development program is being offered to
Nevadans, following two cohorts of participants experiencing successful
completion of the program.
“This program has offered resources and support to a
demographic of our agriculture industry that is underrepresented,” said NDA
Director J.J. Goicoechea. “Every opportunity we have to offer additional
support to those in agriculture, and help keep them in agriculture, is a win
for the industry and Nevadans as we increase the availability of food in the
state.”
The Farm2Food Accelerator Program is designed to help Nevada
women farmers and entrepreneurs with value-added food or beverage products, or
product ideas, grow their business and expand into new markets. A value-added
product is a product that has changed in its physical state or form, such as
milling wheat for flour or making strawberries into jam. Women who grow
specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, honey, tree nuts, dried fruits,
culinary herbs and spices, or source specialty crop ingredients in the products
they make are encouraged to apply.
“This is an incredible opportunity for women in the food and
agriculture industry to receive entrepreneurship training and resources, while providing
them with connections to others in the state who can offer guidance and support,”
said NDA Agricultural Literacy Coordinator Shelley Pope. “From the last two
cohorts, we have seen growth in small-scale businesses and an increase in their
marketplace success.”
Selected applicants will participate in a 15-week online
program and two in-person events at no cost thanks to funds made available
through the Nevada Specialty Crop Block Grant program. The program will provide
women with the opportunity to:
- Gain knowledge and tools related to food safety,
product development, marketing and other industry resources.
- Connect with a community of women farmers, food
entrepreneurs and food experts.
- Launch a new food or beverage product or enhance
an existing product for market.
An information session will be held virtually in advance of
the program on Sept. 28, 2023, from noon –1 p.m.
Interested individuals can register for the information
session and apply for the program at agri.nv.gov. The deadline to apply for the
program is Oct. 15, 2023.
About the Nevada Department of Agriculture
The Nevada
Department of Agriculture (NDA) mission is to preserve, protect and
promote Nevada’s agriculture. The department has 225 dedicated employees
providing services in its five divisions, Administrative Services, Animal
Industry, Measurement Standards, Food and Nutrition, and Plant Health and
Compliance. The department’s $288 million budget facilitates regulatory and
administrative work in agriculture and food manufacturing industries,
protecting public and environmental health and worker safety, and providing
food distribution and oversight for the United States Department of
Agriculture’s school and community nutrition programs.
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