The guide will help rural entrepreneurs start and grow businesses, create quality jobs and strength Oregon's economy.
PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 14, 2022 – State Director Margi Hoffmann, head of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development in Oregon, today unveiled a new resource guide to help Oregon’s rural entrepreneurs start and grow businesses and create good-paying, local jobs. The guide is part of a larger effort to empower rural entrepreneurs and strengthen the economy, not just in Oregon but nationwide.
"Rural entrepreneurs are a vital part of Oregon's economy. Their goods and services improve the lives of people in our state and across the nation. They create quality jobs and new economic opportunities for members of their own communities," Hoffmann said. "We hope this guide serves as a roadmap to success, equipping Oregon's rural entrepreneurs with the tools they need as we face the challenges of the 21st century. Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient Oregon."
The Beaver State’s rural business owners are among the most environmentally conscious and worker-oriented in the nation but too often lack access to traditional financial support. The guide features information on how rural entrepreneurs can use USDA and other Federal programs to access financing and other assistance to help start and expand their businesses. It includes tools to help them:
- expand their access to capital to create small business incubators.
- create value-added agricultural products.
- access high-speed internet to connect their businesses to national and global markets.
- cut energy costs.
- access childcare and health care resources to enhance the quality of life for their employees.
- access workforce development and training opportunities to improve their skills, products and services and more.
The guide also features firsthand stories from Rural Development customers on ways USDA programs and services have helped them start or expand businesses. USDA Rural Development in Oregon will also highlight the innovation and diversity of Oregon’s rural entrepreneurs throughout National Entrepreneurship Week.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, visit www.rd.usda.gov, or contact the nearest USDA Rural Development state office. For more National Entrepreneurship Week updates, follow USDA RD Oregon on Twitter.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans 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, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you'd like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.