Dr. Basil Gooden, under secretary of USDA Rural Development, speaks at an Oct. 17 press conference at the NDAREC Cooperative Center in Mandan. Photo by NDAREC/Liza Kessel
During his second trip to North Dakota in two months, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden announced a $200,000 grant award to the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) rural development center. The funding, provided through the Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program, will be used by the center to provide technical assistance to cooperatives and mutually owned businesses in rural North Dakota.
“Cooperatives play a vital role in enhancing the quality of life in rural areas,” Gooden said.
Assistance provided by the NDAREC rural development center has resulted in the formation of cooperatives providing critical services in rural North Dakota, including child care, meat processing, rural groceries and food distribution.
“The leadership of NDAREC and their member co-ops across the state are focused on the success and future of rural people and the areas they serve,” USDA Rural Development North Dakota State Director Erin Oban said. “They’ve become trusted partners and creative problem-solvers, creating lasting impacts for our rural communities, small businesses, friends and neighbors.”
In addition to the RCDG announcement, Gooden spoke to rural developers at an assembly hosted by NDAREC in Mandan and announced a more than $22 million ReConnect grant in Fort Yates. The grant is part of USDA Rural Development’s efforts to improve rural broadband infrastructure across the country and will enhance high-speed internet services for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
