WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) – a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee – announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $71,988 to Kent State University (KSU) through its Rural Cooperative Development Grant program. The funding will be used to train economic and cooperative development specialists, support new food cooperatives through technical assistance, and report progress at two national conferences. KSU will also provide long-term planning resources to ensure cooperatives’ continued effectiveness during leadership transitions.

“Cooperatives bring communities together – members leverage their shared resources to provide essential goods and services,” Brown said. “These federal funds will allow Kent State University to help local cooperatives develop local businesses, create jobs, and strengthen our economy.” 

Brown is the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years. In 2014, he was part of the Senate Farm Bill Conference Committee that successfully negotiated a five-year farm bill that had been stalled for more than three years. Brown supported a strong Rural Development title in the 2014 Farm Bill to encourage economic development in rural communities.

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