On Tuesday, November 30, Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) and Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) introduced bills (S 3986/HR 6462) in the Senate and House, respectively, that would establish the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) within the USDA. Nine Senators and five Representatives joined as original co-sponsors. The HFFI program would improve access to healthy food in underserved […]
Grants and Programs
USDA Announces Funding for Conservation Projects in Mississippi River Basin
On Monday, November 29, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of up to $43 million in FY 2011 funding for existing conservation projects to improve water quality in forty-one priority watersheds through the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI), administered by USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). The funding will be available to […]
USDA Releases Final FY10 Contract and Payment Data for Easement Programs
On Friday, November 12, USDA officially announced that it obligated nearly $550 million to enroll 272,762 acres in the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) in FY 2010. With this signup–the highest single-year enrollment in WRP history and a 52 percent increase over last year’s 179,000 acres–nearly 2.35 million acres are now enrolled in WRP nationwide. In […]
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Moving Forward
By Amy Bacigalupo, Land Stewardship Project, Farm Beginning Program Director As I addressed the group of 60 participants for the first Project Director’s meeting for USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP), I was struck by a strong sense of excitement. It is truly momentous that the 29 projects represented at the meeting are […]
USDA to Host Grant Writing Webinar for Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program
On November 22, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will host a webinar on how to write grants for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). The webinar, lasting from 2:00-3:30pm (EDT), will discuss the program, eligibility, changes in FY 2011, and major “dos” and “don’ts” of writing proposals. The request for applications […]
Biomass Crop Assistance Program – Additional Concerns
Earlier this week NSAC issued a blog on the final rule for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), a rule that does not do nearly enough to ensure that BCAP will focus on projects for the establishment of perennial bioenergy crops. USDA’s Farm Service Agency also issued this week a record of decision for the […]
USDA Announces Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program Awardees
On Thursday, October 28, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced the 75 awardees of grant and loan funds from USDA’s Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP). Merrigan made the announcement in Lexington, Kentucky, one of 36 states in which projects will receive funding. “This program creates opportunities for small businesses to prosper by giving them access […]
USDA Calls for Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Applications
On Tuesday, October 26, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) issued a request for applications (RFA) for its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) for the fiscal year 2011. The application period runs through December 22, 2010, with awards expected to be made by or before October 2011. The farm bill provides […]
USDA Announces Community Food Project Awards
Today, October 27, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the recipients of the 2010 Community Food Projects grants, administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The grants are intended to help build community food systems and fight hunger and food insecurity in low-income communities. The $4.8 million in grant awards went to 27 […]
NIFA Announces Organic Research and Extension Grants
Today, October 27, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced 30 grants totaling over $22 million to enhance the ability of organic producers and processors grow and market high quality organic agricultural products. In announcing the awards, NIFA Director Roger Beachy noted “More and more farmers are adopting organic agriculture practices to produce […]
USDA Risk Management Agency Announces $9.6 Million in Partnership Agreements
On Tuesday, October 26, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced its annual Partnership Agreement awards, which are geared primarily toward small and underserved producers. This year, $9.6 million in funds were awarded, including $3.6 million in Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships. According to the USDA press release, these partnerships “can help farmers diversify production and […]
Biomass Crop Assistance Program Final Rule Major Disappointment
The final rule for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program is scheduled for official publication in the Federal Register on October 27. The final rule was addressed by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack last Thursday as part of a set of bioenergy policies. NSAC submitted comments to USDA on the BCAP proposed rule back in April of […]
USDA Announces 2010 Specialty Crop Research Grants
Today, October 25, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced the 28 recipients of 2010 Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grants. The SCRI, administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), was established in the 2008 Farm Bill to support the specialty crop industry through research and extension activities. Specialty crops are defined as […]
USDA Announces Subsidies for Biofuels
On Thursday, October 21, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a series of measures to expand and develop infrastructure and incentives for the production of biofuels, including a rule to implement the Farm Bill’s Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). He also called on Congress to extend the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax which in the near term […]
New Publication on Farm Bill Programs and Habitat Conservation
NSAC is pleased to announce the release of a new publication – Conserving Habitat through the Federal Farm Bill: A Guide for Land Trusts and Landowners. A group of six organizations came together to contribute to this comprehensive and practical guide for farmers, ranchers, land trusts and other landowners who want to increase wildlife habitat […]
USDA Announces $18 Million in Awards for Beginning Farmer and Rancher Training and Mentoring Programs
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) is a competitive grants program administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). BFRDP grants are awarded to local, state, and regionally based networks and partnerships to support financial and entrepreneurial training, mentoring, and apprenticeships for beginning farmers and ranchers, as well as land link programs that connect retiring with new farmers and innovative farm transfer and transition practices…. Read More →
USDA Announces Iowa REAP Grant Recipients
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $32 million in loans and grants for 433 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in Iowa under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Grants and loans totaled $14.5 million and $17.4 million, respectively. REAP, which is administered by USDA’s Rural Development agency, makes grants and loans available to […]
USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program Announces 2010 Grants
On Thursday, October 14, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced the 2010 grants of the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP). The program awarded 77 grants in 34 states, amounting to $4,099,897 in funding. The FMPP was first developed by NSAC in the lead up to the 2002 Farm Bill, and we have championed funding for […]
37 Programs Will Lose Baseline Funding in 2012 Farm Bill
On September 29, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a new report, “Previewing the Next Farm Bill: Unfunded and Early-Expiring Provisions,” which details the 37 programs that will no longer have baseline funding in the next farm bill cycle. Together, these programs account for $9-10 billion dollars (depending on estimation approach), or 4% of the […]
USDA Announces Rural Cooperative Development Grant Recipients
USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager today announced $8.3 million in grants through the Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program to help rural cooperatives expand economic activity in their communities. Grantees included NSAC member organization Farm to Table, Inc., of Santa Fe, NM, which received a grant for a project to improve economic […]
USDA Announces $499 Million in Nationwide Community Facilities Grants
On Wednesday, September 29, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the award of $499 million in loans and grants to a variety of investments in rural community development across the nation. A total of 280 projects in 44 states, as well as Guam and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, will receive funding. These loans and […]
USDA Announces 2010 Recipients of Specialty Crop Block Grants
On Friday, September 17th, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan announced the awards made under this year’s Specialty Crop Block Grant program. The grants to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops are made in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. […]
Four RBOG Grants Support Local and Regional Food
On Thursday, September 23, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the recipients of USDA’s 2010 Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG), which support regional planning activities to improve economic conditions in rural areas. Out of 27 total funded projects, the program awarded grants to four projects pertaining to local and regional food system development: California Association of […]
Rural Community Development Grants Available
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced yesterday the availability of $6.2 million in grant funding through the USDA’s Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) for fiscal year 2011. The RCDI program funds non-profits and other qualifying organizations that provide financial and technical assistance to recipients in rural communities to develop their capacity and ability to undertake economic […]