Our Mission & Work

About The Delta Regional Food Business Center

The Delta Regional Food Business Center strengthens food and farm businesses across the Mississippi Delta region and Mid-South through investment, collaboration, and technical support. Backed by the USDA, we provide funding, guidance, and community-rooted expertise to help rural food economies thrive.

We support businesses throughout the supply chain, from farmers and processors to distributors and retail. Our work prioritizes shared prosperity and long-term impact.

Mississippi

Alabama

Arkansas

Louisiana

East Texas

Mississippi Alabama Arkansas Louisiana East Texas

Who We Serve

The Delta Regional Food Business Center serves farm and food businesses across the region, with a focus on post-harvest activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution, and marketing.

  • Farms

  • Ranches

  • Food Hubs

  • Processors

  • Distributors

  • Retailers

  • Food-driven or food based nonprofits

  • Grocery stores

  • Aggregators

Resilient supply chains are built on strong relationships.

The approach of the USDA Regional Food Business Centers rely on the cultivation of those relationships between individuals, communities, regions, sectors, and institutions with an eye toward economic success and equitable social and financial benefits.

The Delta Regional Food Business Center offers regionally tailored services to:

Create more and better markets

Increase market awareness and access

Increase food and farm business and finance acumen

Increase the number of new food and farm businesses and viability of existing businesses

Increase the revenue of food and farm businesses served

Ensure small and mid-size producers have the opportunity to gain access to distributors, retail outlets and institutions

The 12 USDA Regional Food Business Centers support all 50 U.S. States and Territories, and is inclusive of all types of agricultural products produced locally or regionally. The Delta Regional Food Business Center serves five states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and East Texas.

Meet The Team

Our core team brings experience in agriculture, community development, business strategy, and outreach.

  • Don Green

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

  • Rock Woods

    PROGRAM DIRECTOR

  • Danita Rodriquez

    LEAD EVALUATOR

  • Madeline Pears

    BUSINESS PLAN DEVELOPER

  • Jennifer Marshall

    SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Lead Organization

Mississippi Delta Council for Farm Workers Opportunities

Founded in 1971, Mississippi Delta Council for Farm Worker’s Opportunity (MDCFWOI) works to improve the quality of life for poor, rural, and under-served communities, with a special emphasis on farm workers and small-scale agriculture-based operations. MDCFWOI’s mission is to assist limited resource farmers and farm workers throughout Mississippi, helping farmers who wish to remain in agriculture. Since it’s establishment, MDCFWOI has served more than 58,000 limited resource farmers and farm workers.

State Leads

Our work is guided by a group of advisors and lead partners from each of the five states in our region. These trusted organizations help ensure that funding and support reach the people and places that need it most.

Mississippi

Louisiana

East Texas

Alabama

Arkansas