Pace Food and Beverage Law Clinic Receives USDA Funding to Support Regional Economic Development in Upstate New York
Pace Food and Beverage Law Clinic has been awarded nearly $30,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to aid regional economic development in upstate New York.
The federal funding, part of a nearly $1 million grant to invest in economic and infrastructure growth, was announced on Aug. 27 by New York’s two U.S. Senators, Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrandt.
The $1 million USDA funding will be used to invest in regional economic development and infrastructure in 20 rural counties across upstate New York, creating a total of 323 jobs.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas.
In general, the federal funding “will go towards supporting small businesses, conducting sustainability research, helping SUNY Cobleskill outfit its farm product development center, funding vocational training, and providing pro bono legal services to rural farms,” according to a press release from Senators Schumer and Gillibrandt.
The Rural Development investment of $29,266 that is going to the Food and Beverage Clinic will be used to provide pro bono legal services and legal training programs for small and emerging private rural farm, food and beverage businesses. As a result of this investment, the Clinic will support businesses in creating or retaining an estimated 57 jobs.
“We are excited to have our work recognized by the USDA as essential for economic and infrastructure growth,” said Jonathan Brown, director of the Pace Food and Beverage Clinic. “We look forward to providing much-needed legal services and training for upstate businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.”
The grant will support work done in Rensselaer, Putnam, Columbia, Schoharie, Sullivan, Orange, Delaware, Ulster, Suffolk, Dutchess Counties.
About Pace Food and Beverage Law Clinic’s Food Law Initiative
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to test our food systems in many ways and our Food Law Initiative wants to ensure that we are available during these difficult times to support the legal needs of New York State’s farmers and food, beverage, and agricultural businesses. In response to this unprecedented situation, our Pace-Natural Resources Defense Council Food Law Initiative launched the COVID-19 Legal Support Project to provide pro bono legal services by the Food and Beverage Law Clinic at Elisabeth Haub School of Law and by attorneys at Shearman & Sterling LLP to new and existing clients affected by this crisis who cannot afford market-rate legal services.
