Biden Administration Announces $5 billion in Rural Communities and Agriculture Investment

On November 1^st, President Biden announced a new series of new investments for rural America, as part of his administration’s Rural America Event Series.  The total amount of investment into rural America, which is to be administered through the USDA in a series of grants, amounts to little over $5 billion.  $1.7 Billion is going into the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices.  The goal is to offer farmers, ranchers, and foresters new revenue streams in adoption of agricultural practices that have direct climate mitigation benefits, and other environmental benefits.  $1.1 Billion is going into rural infrastructure projects, with the goal of improving the ability of rural America to compete in today’s global economy.  $2 Billion is going into the Rural Partners Network (RPN), a program with the goal of creating jobs through development projects in rural communities, as well as increasing access to healthcare, affordable housing, clean water, and energy.  $274 million, administered through 16 different grant and loan awards, will be to expand access to high-speed internet to rural communities.  And, $145 million will be going towards the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which’s goal is to help rural business owners and agriculture producers switch to renewable forms of energy.