On Friday, October 14th, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla joined Biden Administration officials and local leaders in Fresno to celebrate the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) investments in the Central Valley. Two groups in the Central Valley, including one within RCRC member counties, were recently awarded grants by the EDA totaling over $88 million. The Fresno-Merced Future of Food Innovation (F3) Coalition was awarded $65 million as part of the EDA’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge. EDA funding will support the launch of an ag-tech hub with the mission of accelerating the development and transfer of technology between researchers at local universities and farmers across the region. Community colleges throughout the Central Valley will also receive access to training and new technology to equip students and workers with the skills needed to access higher quality, higher paying jobs in ag-tech—improving both farm productivity and wages.
