{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4651", "CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT CELEBRATES FARMERS IN ACTION COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING WAIVER, GRANTED BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE", "2025-05-05", "2025", "2025-05", "Democrat", "House", "VI", "Stacey E. Plaskett", "P000610", "plaskett.house.gov", "plaskett", "https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "For Immediate Release Contact: Tionee Scotland\n\nMay 5, 2025 202-808-6129\n\nPRESS RELEASE\n\nCONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT CELEBRATES FARMERS IN ACTION COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING WAIVER, GRANTED BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 For the past two years, Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett and her team have actively worked with the St. Croix Farmers in Action (FIA) group to assist with the acquisition of funding for a sustainable water source for local farmers. During the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) appropriations process, FIA submitted a Community Project Funding (CPF) request to rehabilitate water infrastructure on Estate Bethlehem and were subsequently approved for $1 million dollars in community project funding, of which FIA would have to provide a non-federal match of $250,000.\n\nFIA\u2019s plans to rehabilitate Estate Bethlehem\u2019s water infrastructure include an existing 1-million-gallon cistern on the Bethlehem Sugar Factory Site. This funding is critical as the cistern restoration would help fulfill the needs of farms and businesses whose economic success depends upon a consistent water source to maintain farmland. Within the past year, FIA faced significant challenges in providing the required funding match and requested assistance from the Congresswoman and her team.\n\nKareem Edwards, FIA board member shared, \u201cFIA extends heartfelt gratitude for Congresswoman Plaskett\u2019s unwavering advocacy and support of our organization and the broader agricultural community in the Virgin Islands. Thanks to Congresswoman Plaskett and her team\u2019s dedicated efforts, we were able to secure the necessary USDA waiver to rehabilitate the million-gallon cistern on the island\u2014a vital step toward strengthening our water infrastructure and enhancing the resilience of our farming operations. The Congresswoman\u2019s commitment to championing the needs of St. Croix\u2019s farmers continues to make a meaningful and lasting impact.\u201d\n\nAnother FIA board member, Tahemah Edwards shared the following, \u201cSt. Croix Farmers in Action thanks the Honorable Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett and her staff for their vision, dedication, and collaboration in making the Bethlehem Sugar Factory Restoration site a reality. I would also like to thank Kareem Edwards, Tralice Bracy and the St. Croix Farmers in Action board of directors for their lobbying efforts.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis outcome is the result of true collaboration,\u201d said Senator Angel Bolques, whose office provided a letter of support to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in pursuit of the waiver. \u201cOur office worked closely with our Honorable Congresswoman Plaskett and her office, St. Croix Farmers in Action, USDA, and VIEDA\u2014exploring every possible funding solution to help overcome the financial barriers to assist with securing this vital waiver. I\u2019m so proud to have contributed to this effort and remain committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen our agricultural infrastructure and empower our farmers.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am tremendously pleased that FIA has received a waiver of the match that USDA-Rural Development (USDA-RD) originally required to access the funding provided to rehabilitate existing cistern infrastructure to support the farmers of St. Croix,\u201d said Congresswoman Plaskett. \u201cI commend FIA and the board members, led by Tahemah Edwards and his nephew, Kareem Edwards, for their diligence and perseverance in pursuit of agricultural development and advocacy for St. Croix farmers. I would also like to thank the Senator Angel Bolques and his team for their advocacy and presence on FIA\u2019s behalf.\n\n\u201cUSDA-RD\u2019s decision to waive the match, particularly during this political climate speaks well of our ability to galvanize our efforts in order to get things done for our territory.\u201d\n\nPictured below, right to left: FIA Volunteer \u2013 Tralice Bracy, Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett, FIA Board Member \u2013 Paulette Edwards, FIA Board Member Tahemah Edwards, Representatives from Senator Angel Bolques\u2019s office \u2013 Judy Torres and Marcellino Ventura\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T00:49:36Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4651"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9305039420723915, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}