USDA announced today that farmers and ranchers have until June 11 to submit applications to enroll in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) this year. The brief application form can be filed at a local NRCS service center. After submitting the application, farmers will be scheduled for a follow-up meeting with NRCS to complete the CSP […]
Grants and Programs
Opportunity to Give Input on AFRI RFA
The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is accepting public comments on its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) to help guide the development of the 2011 Requests for Applications (RFAs). NIFA will also host a public meeting on Wednesday, June 2, 2010 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at One Washington Circle […]
Small Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grants
The USDA announced Wednesday that almost $3.5 million will be available for the Small Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grant program (SSDPG) which provides competitive grant funds for cooperatives or an association of cooperatives to provide technical assistance to socially disadvantaged, small-scale producers. Applications are due by July 27, 2010. Applicants may propose projects up to $200,000 […]
New NSAC Guide to USDA funding for Food Systems
This week, NSAC is launching a new tool to help producers, community-based organizations, local governments, and other groups who are engaged in work to develop their local or regional food system. The Guide to USDA Funding for Local and Regional Food Systems seeks to de-mystify some of the federal grant programs most likely to be […]
Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative Applications Open
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is taking applications for the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) until May 27, 2010. The full Request for Proposals can be found here. The CCPI allows NRCS to partner with eligible organizations to provide financial and technical assistance to owners and operators of agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands. […]
Call for Nominations to Minority Farmer Advisory Committee
Yesterday’s Federal Register announced the call for nominations to the Minority Farmer Advisory Committee, organized by the Office of Advocacy and Outreach at the USDA. The Secretary will select no more than 15 committee members including at least four socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, two nonprofit representatives and two representatives from colleges or universities with […]
Research Grants Drilldown: Organic Research within AFRI
This is the fourth in a series of articles drilling down into some sections of the six Request for Applications (RFAs) recently released by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for the 2010 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). Check out the third post about Climate Change and Conventional Breeding. Over the course […]
Research Grants Drilldown: Integrated projects on Sustainable Food Systems
This is the second in a series of articles drilling down into some sections of the six Request for Applications (RFAs) recently released by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for the 2010 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). Check out the first post about Small and Medium-Sized Farms and Rural Community Prosperity. […]
Research Grants Drilldown: Small and Medium Farms and Rural Communities
This is the first in a series of articles drilling down into some sections of the six Request for Applications (RFAs) recently released by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for the 2010 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).Look out over the course of this week for more information on other opportunities in […]
Rural Business Opportunity Grants Available
Yesterday’s Federal Register announced* the availability of grants to fund projects designed to help rural communities create wealth, repopulate and become self-sustaining. Projects can receive up to $250,000 across a period of up to two years and there is a total of $2.48 million available in 2010. These Regional Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG) give preference […]
USDA Releases Request for Applications for AFRI Competitive Grants
This week, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (formerly, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service) released the long-anticipated 2010 Request for Applications (RFAs) for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). Significantly overhauled and with more funding to award than ever, the AFRI RFAs define a substantive portion of USDA’s research agenda, […]
House Passes Agriculture Credit Act of 2009
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Agricultural Credit Act of 2009, approved for consideration earlier this month by the House Agriculture Committee. The Agricultural Credit Act of 2009 (H.R. 3509) would reauthorize funding for the USDA’s State Agricultural Mediation Program, which administers grants for certified state agricultural mediation programs. These programs help […]
Organic Initiative Sign-up Extended in Certain States
The cut-off date for the 2010 Organic Initiative sign-up was last Friday, March 12, in most states. At least eight states, however, have extended the 2010 sign-up period. These include: Colorado: April 16, 2010 Illinois: March 26, 2010 Louisiana: March 26, 2010 Missouri: March 19, 2010 Nebraska: April 1, 2010 Nevada: March 19, 2010 Ohio: […]
Individual Development Accounts to support Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
Last week’s Drake Forum on America’s New Farmers addressed a myriad of opportunities and challenges that face the new generation of farmers and ranchers: big, small, and mid-sized, urban and rural, all across the country. In particular, access to land, access to capital, new market development, and education and training, particularly financial education, surfaced again […]
Farmers Market Grant Opportunity Announced
USDA published a notice of $5 million in grant funds available through the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) in today’s March 1 edition of the Federal Register. NSAC and the Wallace Center developed this program and NSAC championed it in the 2002 Farm Bill. FMPP grants vary in size from $2,500 to $100,000 and do […]
New Farm to School Bill in House
On Friday, February 26, Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) introduced the Farm to School Improvements Act of 2010 (HR 4710), which would provide the USDA with $10 million a year for a competitive grants program to fund projects linking producers with the school lunch program. The proposed legislation’s goal is to improve nutrition in schools while […]
Grant Opportunity: Community Outreach and Assistance for Risk Management
Today’s federal register announced the availability of $2.5 million in grants for the Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program and $1.1 million for Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions. The Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program targets limited resource, socially disadvantaged and other traditionally underserved producers with training, […]
Policy Considerations in Revitalizing Local and Regional Food Systems
Last week, Ferd Hoefner, NSAC’s Policy Director, addressed an audience at the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum 2010 with an assessment of the policy opportunities and barriers to strengthening local and regional food systems. The USDA’s increasing focus on connecting farmers with local and regional markets for their products is evident in cross-cutting initiatives like Know […]
Want to support sustainable ag? Serve as a federal grant reviewer.
NSAC advocates for federal grant programs that provide resources for farmers, researchers, and grassroots organizations to get things done on the ground. But once a program is established, money is secure, and applications are in, there’s still at least one more step before policy can translate to action. Someone has to decide which projects to […]