Contact: Jose Montenegro (831) 758-1469
Bill Murphy (916) 498-5315
Este comunicado de prensa en Español

WASHINGTON, Jun 22, 1998 - Risk Management Agency (RMA) Administrator Ken Ackerman will present a $85,000 grant to the Rural Development Center to develop to improve the risk management skills of more than 300 Latino family farmers. The outreach is part of a major USDA initiative to increase the ability of growers to manage the many facets of agricultural risk. On June 8, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced the winners of $3 million of risk management education grants. Only 17 of 107 proposals were selected for funding.

The project will be completed in collaboration with a wide range of local organizations and government agencies, including the Small Farm Center of the University of California at Davis, the Cooperative Extension Service, the USDA's Farm Service Agency, and the Office of the Agriculture Commissioner.

Ackerman will present the grant to Jose Montenegro, Director of Rural Development Center, in Salinas at the Center's farm at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, June 26. The Center is located at 1700 Old Stage Road in Salinas, CA.