WEALTH WATCHERS INC.
C.R.O.P. | Comprehensive Rural Opportunity Program
About C.R.O.P.
Supporting our Rural and Urban Communities
Wealth Watchers Inc. is a HUD certified Housing Counseling and community development organization based in Northeast Florida. Wealth Watchers provides small business development, training, lending and real estate development services available throughout Florida and Georgia. Comprehensive Rural Opportunity Program (C.R.O.P.) is an initiative of Wealth Watchers Inc. designed to enhance the coordination of outreach, technical assistance and education efforts to reach veterans, farmers and ranchers in the rural and urban areas with an emphasis on those that are socially disadvantaged. The organization assists them with successfully acquiring, owning, operating and retaining farms and ranches and increasing participation in the full range of USDA programs and services.
C.R.O.P. Services Include
- Outreach & Education
- Agriculture Training
- Business Development
- Micro Lending
- Construction
- Urban Agriculture
- Youth Agriculture
NEWS
Major USDA Funding for Farmers and Ranchers of Color
Big news for a nonprofit committed to building wealth for future generations! Wealth Watchers Inc. recently received more than $700,000 in grant funding over a three-year period to support underserved farmers in Northeast Florida and Georgia. The funding was made possible through the USDA’s 2501 Program. Wealth Watchers was one of two Florida agencies to receive money. Through this investment, USDA awarded a total of $36.1 million to 52 organizations.
“We are so honored to be a recipient. We will be able to help deserving farmers and ranchers acquire, own, operate and retain their agriculture businesses. We will assist them with establishing economically sustainable systems for farming, ranching and land conservation,” said Carrie Davis, Wealth Watchers president and CEO. “This funding will go to
a long way in ensuring farmers of color have access to financial management, agribusiness education and more. This is another way for Wealth Watchers to build and create generational wealth.”
The funding will allow participants to implement outreach strategies such as on-farm demonstration projects, youth-related agriculture STEM programs and other USDA events. The Wealth Watchers team will partner with farmers and ranchers not only in Northeast Florida, but also North Florida and Southeast, Southwest and Central Georgia. The monetary investments are part of USDA’s commitment to take aggressive action to advance equity for all, especially farmers and producers in underserved communities.
FEATURED FARMER
Dollison Farms: Establishing Deep Roots in South West Georgia
Ricky Dollison is a fourth-generation farmer who runs Dollison Farms in Poulan, Georgia. The family-run business started in 1949. It is 200-acre livestock and grow crop farm. Dollison raises swine and cows. He also grows peanuts, corn and other produce.
Family is at the root of Dollison Farms. Ricky and his daughter work together to promote the farm as well as the other component of their business, Warrior Creek Premium Meats. “We have low country boil starter kit. We have sausages. We have pork chops. We have bacon.”
Dollison Farms works to establish deep roots in Southwest Georgia. The family members donate their time and resources to help strengthen the community. They take pride in farming practices that focus on humane animal husbandry, growing their own non-GMO corn to feed their livestock and farm safety.
We want to congratulate Ricky. He was recently selected to participate in the 2022 Leadership Mission on Agriculture Policy and Resource Scarcity in Germany!
C.R.O.P. is brought to you by Wealth Watchers Inc. in partnership with:
