HARLINGEN, Texas - Salomon Torres, former Rio Grande Valley district director for U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, is principal of Soluciones, a Harlingen-based consultancy firm.
Torres helped HOPE for Small Farm Sustainability secure a $7.4 million grant from the U.D. Department of Agriculture. However, the department has now rescinded the money, claiming the grant was given due to DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).
In a podcast with the Rio Grande Guardian, Torres disputes this. He explains how the funding originated, its intended purpose, and what small farmer operators Diana and Saul Padilla, the leaders of HOPE, are doing to get USDA to rescind its decision.
