Media Advisory: CSU selected to host a new USDA Regional Food Business Center
What:
The United States Department of Agriculture, Colorado State University leadership and the CSU System Board of Governors will announce the establishment of the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center at an event at 11:40 a.m. on Friday, May 5.
Co-led by Colorado State University and Oregon State University, the center will support producers by providing localized assistance to access a variety of markets, including linking producers to wholesalers and distributors. By strengthening connections between rural and urban areas, the Regional Food Business Centers will drive economic opportunities across the region, creating a more diversified and resilient food system. The center will work across the western states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.
When/Where:
The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to noon at CSU’s Translational Medicine Institute, Atrium, 2350 Gillette Dr. in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Leadership remarks
- Jennifer Moffitt, Undersecretary, USDA-AMS
- Michael Bennet, United States Senator
- Amy Parsons, President, Colorado State University
- Armando Valdez, Vice Chair of the CSU Board of Governors and State Director USDA-Rural Development
- Kate Greenberg, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture
- Dawn Thilmany, Professor, Colorado State University
Details:
Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the creation of 12 new USDA Regional Food Business Centers. Colorado State University will co-lead the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center. In September 2022, USDA announced $400 million to fund this initiative, and 12 organizations were selected to lead efforts in their region and together serve all areas of the country.
Contact:
Jennifer Dimas at jennifer.dimas@colostate.edu or 970-988-4265.