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beginning farmer and rancher development program

RFA ROUNDUP: SPRING 2023 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

February 28, 2023

This post shares all the information that food and farm organizations might need to best utilize the newly released funding resources. From funding guidelines, application deadlines, and program requirements, NSAC covers everything needed for the latest round of Requests for Applications (RFAs) to support your community of farmers and advocates…. Read More →

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Grants and Programs

NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform: Advancing Racial Equity Across the Food System

December 21, 2022

This is the fifth post in our series covering key pillars of NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform which discusses the need to craft a farm bill that advances racial equity by improving access to USDA funding and programs for underserved individuals and communities, and particularly farmers of color; increasing funding for programs and policies that support underserved communities and particularly farmers of color; and strengthening data collection, analysis, reporting, and transparency to inform racial equity-driven decision-making…. Read More →

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Farm Bill

USDA Announces 2501 Grant Awards Supporting Farmers of Color and Veterans

November 11, 2022

Last month, USDA announced over $36 million in 2501 grants to 52 organizations across the country for outreach and technical assistance to underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers. The Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program, more commonly known as the “2501 Program,” and administered by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE), helps to ensure that historically underserved producers have equitable access to the information, programs, and opportunities that will help them to find success in agriculture…. Read More →

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Grants and Programs

$19 Million Available to Support Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in 2022

March 28, 2022

USDA announced $19 million for the BFRDP in the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Request for Application (RFA). Applicants have until May 19, 2022, to apply for this year’s round of grants…. Read More →

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Grants and Programs

A Record $35 Million Now Available to Support Historically Underserved and Veteran Farmers

March 23, 2022

Earlier this month, USDA announced a record $35 million in funding for 2501 grants, almost $20 million more than was available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, to help organizations conduct targeted outreach and provide technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers. The Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program, more commonly known as the “2501 Program,” and administered by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE), helps to ensure that historically underserved producers have equitable access to the information, programs, and opportunities that will help them to find success in agriculture. June 8, 2022 is the deadline for applications. … Read More →

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, General Interest, Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

2501 Funding Now Available for FY 2021

July 28, 2021

Historically, farmers of color have been unable to participate in or benefit from USDA programs to the same extent as their white neighbors. This presents an enormous challenge for farmers of color when they are looking to start or maintain viable and resilient careers in farming. Rising costs and limited availability of farmland, access to […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

$16 Million Invested to Train Beginning Farmers – Where Does It Go?

October 29, 2020

Beginning farmers and ranchers face a number of unique circumstances and challenges to establish themselves in the industry, and their path has become no easier in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the Economic Research Service (ERS) published a report that found beginning farmers have higher debt-to-asset ratios, are less likely to receive […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Carousel, Farm Bill, Grants and Programs

USDA Invests $14 Million to Train the Next Generation of Farmers

November 7, 2019

The new farmer boom continues to grow all across the country, but barriers to entry (such as access to land, capital, and viable markets) continue to make it hard for new farmers to build a successful and sustainable farm business. In response, hundreds of farmer training programs and projects have emerged over the past decade […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Grants and Programs

$14 Million Available to Help Train the Next Generation of Farmers

April 8, 2019

Note: This post has been updated to reflect changes made to the FY 2020 Request for Applications which was recently released on December 16, 2019. For further details on timing and updated application links, see below. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the availability of $14 million in grant funds to help launch […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Grants and Programs

A Closer Look at the 2018 Farm Bill: Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach Program

February 19, 2019

Editor’s Note: This is the final post in a multi-part blog series digging deeper into some of the new programs and policies of the 2018 Farm Bill. These posts detail how the new farm bill is likely to impact core sustainable agriculture programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Previous posts focused on: working lands conservation, local and regional food systems, and nutrition incentive and anti-hunger programs. […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Farm Bill

2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers

December 12, 2018

Editor’s Note: This is the second post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final negotiated 2018 Farm Bill, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: organic agriculture, conservation, research and seed breeding, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies; previous posts focused on local and regional food and beginning/socially disadvantaged farmers. […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Farm Bill

$18 Million Awarded for Vital Beginning Farmer Program, but Future Remains Uncertain

October 3, 2018

Interest in careers in agriculture is on the rise, but many aspiring farmers and ranchers find themselves blocked from starting food and farm businesses because of the many significant barriers to entering the industry. Farmer training programs and projects, hundreds of which have emerged in the last decade alone, help aspiring and beginning producers to […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Grants and Programs

What’s at Stake: Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers

September 13, 2018

Editor’s Note: The 2014 Farm Bill expires on September 30th. If the next farm bill is not finalized before that date, numerous “tiny but mighty” farm bill programs that support family farmers and food-producing communities will effectively shut down in terms of new funding and grant opportunities for fiscal year 2019. These workhorse programs, which […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Farm Bill

RELEASE: Legislators Set Their Sights on the Future with Beginning Farmer Bill

April 26, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Legislators Set Their Sights on the Future with Beginning Farmer Bill The Next Generation in Agriculture Act ensures America’s beginning farmers have skills, resources to succeed  Washington, DC, April 26, 2018 – Today, a bipartisan coalition led by Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Susan Collins […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Farm Bill

Draft House Farm Bill: Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers

April 13, 2018

This is the first post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the draft farm bill released on April 12, 2018 by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX). Subsequent posts focus on: crop insurance and commodity subsidies, local/regional food systems and rural development, research and seed breeding, conservation, and organic agriculture. The bill is expected to be considered and […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Farm Bill

Beginning Farmers Make Strides with Support from Federal Programs

December 1, 2017

As the average age of our nation’s farmers and ranchers continues to rise, ushering in the next generation of American producers has become a national priority. Congress recognized the potential crises this lack of production capacity could cause nearly a decade ago, and responded by creating the first ever federal program aimed exclusively at training […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Grants and Programs

Funding Available to Help Train the Next Generation of Farmers

November 30, 2017

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the availability of $22 million in grant funds to help launch new and expand existing programs to train beginning farmers, including a new initiative to train military veterans. These federal grants will be awarded through two competitive programs administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Grants and Programs

Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers

November 14, 2017

Editor’s Note: On October 24, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released its 2018 Farm Bill policy platform, An Agenda for the 2018 Farm Bill, which provides a comprehensive vision for a more sustainable farm and food system based on the recommendations and experience of American family farmers and the organizations that represent them. This is the second […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Farm Bill

RELEASE: Investments in Beginning Farmer Training Are Paying Off

October 19, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Investments in Beginning Farmer Training Are Paying Off New Report from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Analyzes Impact of BFRDP Washington, DC, October 19, 2017 – Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released findings from the first-ever comprehensive evaluation of the U.S. […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Press Releases

USDA Invests Millions Into Training for the Next Generation of Farmers

August 19, 2016

As the average age of our nation’s farmers and ranchers continues to rise, training the next generation has become an increasingly urgent priority. Young and beginning farmers and ranchers face unique challenges to success, obstacles which the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) helps them to overcome through its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Grants and Programs

Cultivating America’s next generation of farmers and ranchers

August 18, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Juli Obudzinski, 202-547-5754, JObudzinski@sustainableagriculture.net   Community-based and non-profit organizations to lead cultivation of America’s next generation of farmers and ranchers USDA invests $18 million in Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program projects Washington, DC, August 18, 2016 – The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) is the only U.S. Department […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Grants and Programs, Press Releases

Demand for Beginning Farmer Support Programs Greatly Exceeds Available Funding

July 8, 2016

Today, the average age of an American farmer is 58.3 years, an increase of 8.3 years since 1980. The steady rise in average farmer age over the past three decades underscores the need to bring new farmers into the U.S. agricultural sector. To help attract the next generation of American farmers, Congress created the Beginning […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers

Innovative Grazing Apprenticeship Program Attracts Young Farmers  

January 26, 2016

The aging of America’s farmer population has become of increasing concern in the last several decades as older farmers retire without a new generation ready to take their place. Given the challenges inherent in farm life– hard work, high risk, and unreliable earnings– younger generations have been leaving rural areas for more secure career opportunities, […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Local & Regional Food Systems, Sustainable Livestock

10 Days of Sustainable Ag Advocacy: An Intern’s Perspective

March 15, 2010

by Kara Slaughter, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute “With reference to individual or national welfare, agriculture is of primary importance.”  -George Washington So reads one of the three quotations at the top of the stone edifice at the U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington, D.C.  Part of what prompted me to quit my “real job” […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Food Safety

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