Margarita Gregorian is a poor farmer with a small parcel of land in the rural town of Khoronk, in the Armavir region of Armenia. Like many Armenian farmers, Margarita and her family have lived on her agricultural income of approximately $1,000 per year for the last 15 years. Prior to the Millennium Challenge Corporation's (MCC) investment in Armenia, Margarita grew wheat and other low-value crops on her 3.5 acre farm. Her income was insufficient to adequately provide for her growing family, and her dependence on an expensive, worn-out, and unreliable canal to irrigate crops limited her ability to expand operations and increase her income. These are common problems faced by many poor farmers in Armenia. Due to large-scale privatization of land in the early 1990s and eroding public utilities, many farmers lack access to basic agricultural infra structure necessary for efficient farming. Few people practice cost-effective farming and irrigation due to lack of training, funds, and technical education opportunities. Limited access to financial resources and minimal sales prospects have prevented farmers from accessing capital to invest in their own operations, further compounding farmers' barriers to growth and perpetuating the cycle of rural poverty.