NABC Hosts USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small
| On February 13, USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small visited the Skagit Valley and met with agricultural leaders in Western Washington. Her tour included a visit of the Puget Sound Food Hub (PSFH) warehouse, and later a roundtable discussion at The Vinery in the Skagit Valley, Attendees at the roundtable discussion included NABC Executive Director Mike Peroni, USDA VAPG grant recipient Maura Silva, Puget Sound Food Hub Board members, and PSFH Executive Director Andrew Yokom, team members from USDA Rural Development for Washington State, and team members from the Washington State Conservation Commission. Puget Sound Food Hub summarized the discussion nicely in an Instagram post on the visit. “They discussed how together, we are advancing our rural economies in a meaningful way by putting federal dollars to work,” The post reads. “The Deputy Secretary also had a chance to hear about some of the barriers to funding, including challenges for non-native English speakers.” Small stopped over in Skagit during her cross-country trip visiting land-grant universities and was able to experience first-hand how NABC services provide access to USDA funding opportunities which support regional agriculture, and agricultural producers. Also in attendance at the event was the Genuine Skagit Valley team, including Sara Walls of Cedarbrook Studio, who took the lovely pictures seen above. Thank you very much to the USDA, Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small for the visit, and Puget Sound Food Hub for facilitating the warehouse tour. |