; and (ii) in consultation with the applicable State food and agriculture council, determine whether to approve a plan submitted by a State coordinator under subsection (c)(3)(B). (B) Discretionary duties Duties of the National Coordinator may include— (i) developing and implementing new strategies to support beginning farmers and ranchers by conducting outreach and developing strategies to provide assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers and owners or operators that have ended, or expect to end within 5 years, active labor in farming or ranching operations as a producer; and (ii) facilitating interagency and interdepartmental collaboration on issues relating to beginning farmers and ranchers. (3) Reports Not less frequently than once each year, the National Coordinator shall distribute within the Department and make publicly available a report describing the status of steps taken to carry out the duties described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2). (4) Contracts and cooperative agreements In carrying out the duties under paragraph (2), the National Coordinator may enter into a contract or cooperative agreement with an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 )), cooperative extension services (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 ( 7 U.S.C. 3103 ), or a nonprofit organization— (A) to conduct research on the profitability of new farms in operation for not less than 5 years in a region; (B) to develop educational materials; (C) to conduct workshops, courses, training, or certified vocational training