Webinars aimed at helping producers in agriculture industry
OKMULGEE, Oklahoma — As there is an uncertainty in today’s world, the Mvskoke Fund has begun partnerships with several organizations to help producers and businesses in the agriculture industry to adapt to changes and economic disruption caused by COVID-19 through a free webinar series.
The webinars are hosted by the Native CDFI Network, the Center for Farm Financial Management (CFFM) and Mvskoke Fund support from the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) and will focus on topics that will help Native American farmers, ranchers and fishers.
“We are really excited to get these webinars going,” Mvskoke Fund CEO Christopher Coburn said. “We have organizations from all across the country that are helping with the webinars and we want to do what we can to help anyone that works in agriculture.”
Coburn said they want to host at least four of the webinars but more if needed. The first webinar will focus on tools for Native American farmers, ranchers and fishers.
Native CDFI Network Executive Director Jackson Brossy said the Native agriculture industry has been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
We are excited about this partnership. We are pleased to join forces with the Native American Agriculture Fund and the Mvskoke Fund to provide these resources for farmers, ranchers, and fishers.The COVID-related downturn has put extreme pressures our Native ag industry. As margins disappear, financial management is even more valuable. The Center for Farm Financial Management has decades of delivering high-quality resources for the ag industry – it is time Indian Country accesses these first-class resources at a national scale,” Brossy said.
NAAF CEO Janie Hipp said they are looking forward to working with the other organizations to help spread the information to those in need.
“We are encouraging all the grantees we currently work with to consider doing whatever they can to reach out to Tribal producers to assist them in adjusting their financial management strategies, their business plans, marketing plans and their loan needs,” Hipp said.
The first webinar will be on April 29, at 2:00 p.m. (CST).
For more information contact the Mvskoke Fund at: 918-549-2608 or visit: www.mvskokeloanfund.org/ag-resources/.
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