On Thursday, May 16 and Friday, May 17, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will travel to Georgia. There, he will participate in a series of events underscoring how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Biden-Harris Administration is working to center equity across the Department, as well as create more, new, and better markets for producers and increase access to fresh and healthy foods in urban communities as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda.

On Thursday, May 16, Secretary Vilsack will travel to Albany, where he will participate in USDA’s Regional Equity Convening for the Southeastern Region at The Sherrod Institute’s Farm Field Day. During the event, Secretary Vilsack will highlight USDA’s ongoing and holistic efforts to center equity; lift barriers to inclusion or access; and address systemic discrimination or racial, economic, health and social disparities across the Department. The engagement follows USDA’s National Equity Summit earlier this year, where, in addition to the Equity Commission’s Final Report, USDA announced it would engage with external and internal stakeholders across the country by leveraging Equity Commission members and their organizations in a series of regional equity convenings throughout the remainder of 2024.

On Friday, May 17, Secretary Vilsack will travel to Columbus with Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) for an Investing in America Roundtable. There, they will highlight how USDA is creating rural prosperity and additional income opportunities for producers and entrepreneurs by building more, new, and better markets; providing more options for consumers to buy healthy, locally produced products; investing in infrastructure and creating new jobs; and strengthening local and regional supply chains in the state and across the country. These efforts are central to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which is rebuilding our economy from the middle-out and the bottom-up and creating transformative new economic opportunities for small- and mid-size producers, families and businesses.

Credentialed members of the media must RSVP to [email protected] for arrival instructions.   

Thursday, May 16

WHO: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

WHAT: Participation in USDA’s Regional Equity Convening for the Southeastern Region

WHEN: Midday of Thursday, May 16

WHERE: Albany, GA. Credentialed members of the media must RSVP to [email protected] for arrival instructions.    

Friday, May 17

WHO: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02)

WHAT: Investing in America Roundtable

WHEN: Morning of Friday, May 17

WHERE: Columbus, GA. Credentialed members of the media must RSVP to [email protected] for arrival instructions.