Santa Cruz Standard

Monterey, CA – United States Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) secured $15 million for Central Coast institutions of higher education to foster the next generation of diverse agricultural professionals.  The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) received a $10 million grant and California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) received a $5 million grant through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s NextGen program, funded through the landmark Inflation Reduction Act.

Funding was secured through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) “From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program”, or NextGen.  Both UCSC and CSUMB will utilize this federal funding to strengthen the agricultural workforce through enhanced educational support, experiential learning, and exposure to early career opportunities.

“Agricultural professionals face a multitude of 21st-century challenges that impact their work to feed both our nation and the world,” said Rep. Panetta.  “These local NextGen grants are essential to equipping young people in our community with the knowledge and skills they will need to develop resilient, sustainable, and climate-smart agriculture systems.  The Inflation Reduction Act was an investment in the people and policies necessary to build a cleaner future, and I’m proud to have supported the federal funding to help California’s 19th Congressional District play its part in those efforts.”

“UC Santa Cruz and our partner institutions have been working for years to train the next leaders in agroecology and related fields. This grant will allow us to supersize our efforts to provide students with experiential learning possibilities, mentoring and coaching, and with substantial financial resources, all while bringing a significant focus on justice and equity in the food system,” said Dr. Stacy Philpott, Project Director of the UCSC Project. “It is exciting to have the opportunity to support learners from diverse backgrounds and ages (from elementary school to the PhD level), and to encourage them to appreciate that knowledge is held and generated from multiple sources.

“California State University Monterey Bay is in a region with deep connections to agriculture and innovation. With our Next Generation grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, we can expand access to diverse students who will drive the future of food production in our state and nation with degrees in Agricultural Plant and Soil Sciences,” said CSUMB President Vanya Quiñones.  “We are always grateful for federal support that moves our mission forward and aligns with our value of expanding equity and inclusion through education.”

This announcement comes as part of a broader $262.5 million investment from USDA to provide training and support to more than 20,000 future food and agricultural leaders through 33 project partners.  Each project will be funded for a period of five years.

Original source can be found here