SET: Helping Rural Communities Excel through Regional Approaches
by carmenStronger Economies Together (SET) is a joint partnership of USDA Rural Development, NIFA, the four Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) and the cooperative extension services operated by the nation’s land-grant universities. With this partnership, regions of three or more neighboring rural counties coordinate to identify their collective economic strengths, develop an action plan and build on those assets to find a competitive edge for economic growth.
One success we've already see through the SET program is in Oklahoma where the Drying Canola Project was able to diversify agriculture, produce better crops and will gain an estimated $7.2 million in additional income.
North Carolina’s Green Fields Initiative is another success through SET. Recognizing the agriculture industry as a core of its economy, the Green Fields Initiative helped establish the Sandhills Farm School, a seven-month course that educates existing and new farmers on business strategies, agriculture production and marketing best practices. In addition, Sandhills Community College is developing a certification program that focuses on local food system development.
These are just two of the many successes we seen in the 84 SET regions. To date, SET regions have leveraged more than $588 million in funding to support their insightful plans.