NSAC Archives for the 'Grants and Programs' Category
Beginning Farmers Tell Their Stories at Hill Briefing
Friday, March 9th, 2012
This week, four beginning farmers and ranchers came to Washington, D.C. to participate in a congressional briefing on the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act (S.1850, H.R.3236). The briefing was hosted in the House by Reps. Tim Walz (D-MN-1) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE-1), and in the Senate by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA). The farmers came Read the Rest…
New Environmental Benefits Scores for Conservation Activities within the CSP
Tuesday, March 6th, 2012
Farmers and Ranchers who applied for enrollment in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for fiscal year (FY) 2012 can now determine how many points the various conservation activities offered under the program will be worth. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which implements the program, uses these point values to determine how each applicant ranks Read the Rest…
USDA Solicits Stakeholder Input on Agricultural Research
Thursday, March 1st, 2012
Last week, over 150 people attended a stakeholder listening session to provide feedback on ways to improve the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) – USDA’s largest competitive grants program that funds agricultural research, education, and extension projects. The session was hosted in Washington, D.C. at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) – Read the Rest…
Federal Investments in Local Food Boost Economic Growth — USDA Releases Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Report and Compass
Wednesday, February 29th, 2012
For Immediate Release February 29, 2012 Contact: Helen Dombalis, 202-547-5754 Washington, DC, February 29, 2012 – Today USDA released a comprehensive report on its Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative, launched in 2009 to enhance coordination among federal programs that in various ways help to build local and regional farm and food systems. “This Read the Rest…
2011 Community Food Projects Awardees Named
Wednesday, February 15th, 2012
On Wednesday, February 15, USDA announced the 2011 recipients of the Community Food Projects grants. Community Food Projects, a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) program, seeks to fight hunger and food security through community-driven food systems, specifically in low-income communities. The year’s 27 grants totaled $4.8 million. Projects funded include a teen-run Read the Rest…
USDA Solicits Applications for Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has announced this year’s request for Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) proposals. FSMIP promotes research projects that advance the marketing, distribution, and transportation of U.S. agricultural products both domestically and internationally. Under this program, USDA matches grant funds for qualified state agencies such as state departments of agriculture and state agricultural Read the Rest…
Farmers Speak to the Value of Their Value-Added Producer Grants — USDA Announces Awards Today
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
For Immediate Release February 3, 2012 Contact: Helen Dombalis 202-547-5754 Farmers Speak to the Value of Their Value-Added Producer Grants – USDA Announces Awards Today — Washington, DC February 3, 2012 – Today USDA announced the recipients of the most recent rounds of Value-Added Producer Grants. The awards, which cover two funding cycles, span 298 Read the Rest…
Lenders Learn how to Bank on Small Farms, Local Food
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Financing team offers training as part of healthy food initiative By Patty Cantrell Nic Welty employs himself full time year-round raising lettuce, spinach, and other leafy greens in three low-cost passive solar greenhouses, which together cover less than one acre of land. His Nine Bean Rows farm near Traverse City, MI, is one of many Read the Rest…
Funding Available for Organic Research
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
On Tuesday, January 17th, 2012, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced the release of its 2012 Request for Applications (RFA) for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), which provides grants to academic, private, and non-profit research institutions to investigate research issues related to organic production. Applications are due on March 9th, Read the Rest…
USDA Announces CIG Funding for Water Quality Markets
Saturday, January 14th, 2012
On Friday, January 13, USDA announced the availability of $10 million for water quality credit trading projects through the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. According to USDA’s vision of water quality credit trading, “a producer who implements conservation practices to reduce water quality pollutants can also benefit by generating water quality market credits that could Read the Rest…
