07.29.15

Hoeven: USDA Awards More than $530,000 to North Dakota

WASHINGTON — Senator John Hoeven, who serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development program has approved $536,598 in funding for the Prairie West Development Foundation, the City of Anamoose, Towner County Economic Development Corporation, Dakota College at Bottineau, the City of New England, Adams County Development Corporation, Women and Technology, Rural Economic Area Partnership Investment Fund, Inc. and the REAP Investment Board.

“As North Dakota continues to grow and diversify its economy, it’s important that we invest in businesses that will help us to create good jobs for our people,” Hoeven said. “These funds will help to support small businesses in rural parts of our state so they can grow and create opportunities for North Dakotans.”

The funds are awarded as follows:

  • City of Anamoose – $194,905 – To start a revolving loan fund to provide financial assistance to small and emerging businesses in the area, and to create a food hub
  • Towner County Economic Development Corporation – $80,000 – To start a revolving loan fund program to provide financial assistance to small and emerging businesses in Towner County
  • Dakota College at Bottineau – $70,496 – To purchase equipment to be used as part of a new Aquaponics Production and Management business training program to provide farmers and entrepreneurs the job training they need to start their own business using aquaponics to grow vegetables indoors, year round
  • City of New England – $94,000 –To purchase refrigeration equipment to be leased to the local grocery store. The new equipment will assist in upgrading the current equipment as part of the store’s expansion
  • Prairie West Development Foundation – $23,375 – To purchase refrigerated dairy coolers to be leased to the local grocery store
  • Adams County Development Corporation – $12,000 – To complete a feasibility study for a hotel in Hettinger
  • Women and Technology – $12,600 – To provide training in modern business technology and solutions to boost the capabilities of rural entrepreneurs and their workforce
  • Rural Economic Area Partnership Investment Fund, Inc. – $24,222 – To conduct strategic planning for the CONAC and Southwest Rural Economic Area Partnership zones to develop 5-year strategic plans to better address the needs of rural communities
  • REAP Investment Board – $25,000 – To be used in conjunction with the 2014 RBOG study for a Lake Sakakawea Ferry System

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