December 8, 2023
The Wakulla Environmental Institute at Tallahassee Community College has received a $420,000 grant from the National Institute for Food and Agriculture as part of a $4.7 million investment in Agricultural Workforce Training at Community Colleges (AWT).
The grant funding will be used to expand the Urban Farming and Entrepreneurship Training program to include Agrotechnology Specialist, Natural Resource Specialist, and Agriculture Associate industry certifications through a partnership with Florida Farm Bureau Agriculture Education Services and Technology (AEST). Over the course of the three-year project period, WEI will engage community participation by offering scholarships and industry certifications to participants.
The Urban Farming and Entrepreneurship Training program was developed in partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF-IFAS), the City of Tallahassee, Florida Farm Bureau’s Agriculture Education Services and Technology (FFB-AEST), and local small plot farming experts.
About the National Institute for Food and Agriculture
A federal agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is a part of the USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area. The agency administers federal funding to address the agricultural issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation’s future. NIFA provides leadership and funding for programs that advance agriculture-related sciences. Learn more at nifs.usda.gov/about-nifa.