By Alejandro Figueroa
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for its Discrimination Financial Assistance Program. Also, it recently opened an office in Central Ohio for eligible farmers, ranchers and landowners who believe they have been discriminated against by the federal agency.
The USDA is opening offices across the country to provide assistance to farmers and ranchers in protected classes such as Black and brown farmers, women, veterans and beginning farmers.
It's part of an effort to address long-standing discriminatory lending practices that existed prior to 2021. After years of alleging the USDA denied them access to low-interest loans critical to their livelihoods, Black farmers prompted the $2.2 billion initiative
Bill Miller, a farmer from Butler County and vice president of the Ohio Farmers Union, said discrimination, especially toward Black and brown farmers, continues. But he sees this initiative as a concerted effort to mend past practices.
“It's an industry wide problem. And so we're not talking about just the structural problem within the USDA that still exists. It's a general problem,” Miller said. “But small farmers are important to this country. And there has to be some way of protecting them.”
To reach as many agricultural producers, the USDA contracted the services of the Windsor Group to manage the application process in Ohio and other eastern states.
Cassandra Smith-Igwe, the Ohio Office Director for the Windsor Group, explained a farmer needs to have recorded proof of instances of discrimination to apply for the financial relief program.
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