Center For Latino Farmers
Center For Latino Farmers. I'm Greg Martin with Washington Ag Today.
If you have been thinking of becoming a farmer but feel that it's probably not possible due to being what the government calls socially disadvantaged there is hope. Maria Giedra, Loan Outreach Specialist with the Center for Latino Farmers explains there is a lot of help out there.
GIEDRA: We work under federal grants to connect socially disadvantaged - when I say that word "socially disadvantaged" this word came up from the federal government and not us...we just follow their verbiage; socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers that want to get FSA loans which come from federal loans, low interest for farm workers to become farm owners.
She says they work to connect the Latino workers with USDA agencies for various farm loans to help them get started.
GIEDRA: We have up to 560 contacts of farmworkers that are candidates to own a farm one day.
Giedra says a lot of what they do is education.
GIEDRA: We educate them as far as everything we can especially the GlobalG.A.P., you know G.A.P. certifications, business license. We pretty much help them out to make sure they comply with not only state, federal, the local city. We do technical assistance for all these people to make sure that we have a healthy production.
And that's Washington Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.
