Welcome to the Rural Jobs Coalition blog! We will ask board members and distinguished guests to add their entries periodically. We welcome feedback to the blog posts. Thank you.
By all objective metrics, GARJA has met or exceeded expectations. It’s a vital lifeline for rural communities throughout the state — especially in the uncertain economic times we face today — and its continuation would be a win for working Georgians.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's one-sided story minimizes the positive impact that GARJA has had across Georgia and does not mention the flaws with the state audit being promoted by critics.
Late last year, a state audit was released about the Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act (GARJA) and its impact on both Georgia’s economy and the state government’s finances.
This study is deeply misleading and tailored to fit a narrative. It’s time to set the record straight.
The Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act (GARJA) is a critical jobs program in Georgia. Since 2017, it has created and sustained thousands of jobs, transformed communities across our state, and kept small businesses alive. I would know — mine is one of them.
The Report by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity was presented today to the President by USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue. The Report contains 5 key Calls to Action that include in turn over 100 recommendations to help improve rural infrastructure and quality of life for over 46 million Americans. We are still digesting the recommendations, but one area in particular stands out to us: we are greatly encouraged by a key focus area within the Economic Development Call to Action for added focus on access to capital by small rural-based businesses: "Access to capital to support investments in entrepreneurship, innovation, and growth may be more daunting in rural areas where fewer alternatives to conventional bank loans exist, relative to urban areas, which also have easier access to venture capital, angel investing, and emerging crowd-sourcing models." The actual report, video and supporting materials can be found via the following link:
https://www.usda.gov/ruralprosperity | Rural Prosperity Report
Today, the Global Harvest Initiative (GHI) released its 8th Annual Global Agricultural Productivity Report® (2017 GAP Report®): A World of Productive Sustainable Agriculture.
The rural jobs coalition has invested time and energy into raising awareness of, and making improvements to, the State and Federal tax treatment for venture capital.
2016 is seeing renewed interest in all things rural. It’s an election year, with all the attention that brings to Iowa, South Carolina, and fly-over country. It’s a wet weather year in the Midwest, which appears to be a harbinger for large harvests…and low commodity prices.