Nearly $300,000 in federal grants is on its way to South Dakota. The money is dedicated to organizations focused on rural development.
The Value Added Agriculture Development Center gets $99,950 to establish a small business in Shannon County. Another $99,000 goes to Four Bands Community Fund in Eagle Butte to capitalize on tourism. The Lakota Fund in Kyle receives $99,993 in federal grants for training for Native businesses.
The Acting Under Secretary of the USDA says South Dakota organizations won the grants for a reason.
"Because there’s a lot of potential," Doug O'Brien says. "And South Dakota, of course, has relatively more rural places and rural people than a lot of states."
O’Brien says South Dakotans understand the power of rural development and the importance of creating businesses from the ground up and establishing jobs. While the goal is to nurture small business across the country, O’Brien acknowledges that some small businesses fail.
"We certainly can’t guarantee success, but we can help people make sure that they have the right kind of tools, the capacity, the information to make those choices and ultimately to decide if they want to take that risk to be that entrepreneur, to create jobs and to support their family through their own business," O'Brien says.
O’Brien says the USDA has field offices across the state; visit the department's website for details. O’Brien encourages South Dakota’s small business leaders consider the department’s opportunities for assistance, loans and grants. He says those help people develop the economy in rural America.
The USDA doles out $4.7 million for small business development in 21 states.