WASHINGTON, D.C. — The USDA has announced it will be provide $8.8 million to assist the next generation of farmers and ranchers through a series of grants to universities and organizations.

Of this total, $8.4 million will support the work of 54 partner organizations in 35 states to provide training, outreach and technical assistance for socially disadvantaged, tribal and military veteran farmers.

The additional $400,000 will be allocated to the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center located at Alcorn State University in Lorman, Miss.

The announcement by the USDA is part of the ongoing commitment to bring new people into the farming industry. With only 6 percent of farmers under the age of 35, the National Young Farmers Coalition estimates the nation will need 100,000 new farmers over the next two decades to keep up with demand in a growing population.

"Identifying, recruiting and training a vibrant next generation of American farmers and ranchers has never been more exciting or more urgent than it is right now," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

Among the recipients are 31 partner organizations that serve persistent poverty-stricken counties, part of USDA’s StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity Initiative; 25 include resources for veterans interested in farming; and 12 focus on tribal communities.

In 2010, Secretary Vilsack established the StrikeForce Initiative to address the specific challenges associated with rural poverty. Since then, StrikeForce teams have collaborated with more than 500 community partners and public entities across 20 states to bring targeted assistance to rural areas experiencing chronic poverty.

The $8.8 million in grants are administered through the USDA’s Office of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO) 2501 Program. Reauthorized by the 2014 farm bill, the 2501 Program has expanded assistance to include military veterans. In the past five years, more than $74 million has been invested through the 2501 Program to leverage the work of 304 local partners.

Examples include a $200,000 grant in Minnesota and western Wisconsin to support the Latino Economic Development Center in assisting low-income, beginning Latino and Hmong farmers by providing direct training and assistance to increase land ownership, profitability and sustainability. In South Carolina, a $147,722 grant will support Project Outreach, Education and Training (POET) coordination in areas identified as having the highest concentrations of socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers in USDA StrikeForce counties.

"Agriculture is just like any other business," Vilsack said. "It needs people from diverse backgrounds and experience levels in order to reach its full potential and meet the challenges of tomorrow."