Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the USDA is awarding $50 million to 141 awardees in 40 states and Puerto Rico. The funds come through the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program and will reach 177 unique agricultural operations and more than 11,000 workers. The awards are intended to improve the resiliency of the U.S. food supply chain by addressing agriculture labor challenges and instability, strengthening protections for farmworkers, and expanding legal pathways for labor migration. “These awards will largely support small and mid-sized farms to ensure they can hire and retain the workers they need to be competitive in the market, while also lifting rural communities across the country,” Vilsack says. “Farmworkers make an incredibly important contribution to food and agriculture and ensure we have food on our tables every day.” FLSP was put together with significant input from immigration, labor, and agricultural stakeholders like farmers and farmworkers.
USDA funds to support farmworkers
