FSA Administrator Jonathan Coppess with Matt and Lilly Schneider of Shooting Star Community Supported Agriculture
Still traveling in the Golden State on Tuesday as part of a weeklong tour of California, FSA Administrator Jonathan Coppess not only saw a diversification in agriculture as he entered the heart of Central Valley, but also saw progress made from funding provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Coppess made a stop at the county office in Stockton, Calif., in San Joaquin County, where he met Matt McCue and Lilly Schneider of Shooting Star Community Supported Agriculture. The couple shared their story of how commercial lenders would not help their start-up farm, but they found help at the Farm Service Agency.
The capital for their loan came through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and after one season, the Matt and Lilly are finding customers in the Bay Area for their operation. The couple has a business plan to establish 200 steady customers who will subscribe to their farm and receive a variety of seasonal vegetables delivered to their door weekly.
—by Paul Lehman, FSA West Region public affairs specialist
