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 →
RFA
USDA Accepting Proposals for Regional Food Business Centers
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently announced the availability of $360 million to establish at least six new Regional Food Business Centers, envisioned to provide “coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building support to small and mid-sized farm and food businesses, with the goal of creating a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system.” Applications are due November 22, 2022…. Read More →
New $25 Million Funding Opportunity to Provide Technical Assistance to Underserved Farmers Closes Soon
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new investment of $25 million in grants for the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Technical Assistance Investment Program (ARPTAI) – a new program to provide historically underserved farmers, ranchers and forest landowners technical support in accessing USDA programs and services…. Read More →
$19 Million Available to Support Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in 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 →
USDA Opens Latest Round of Funding to Support Local and Regional Food Economy Development Projects
NSAC looks at USDA’s recently announced round of grant funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) and Regional Food Systems Partnership (RFSP) program to build and expand local and regional food and agriculture markets. The deadline to apply for the FMLFPP and RFSP program is Monday, May 16, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Full details on the NSAC blog. … Read More →
More Funding Available for 2021 Organic Research
Just a few weeks after the 2019 Organic Survey reported a 31 percent growth for organic sales and an increase in certified organic farms and transitioning acres, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released its FY 2021 Request for Application (RFA) for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension […]
RFA Roundup: Spring 2020 Funding Opportunities
Editor’s Note: As the COVID-19 situation progresses, we will continue to update this blog with the latest available information on deadline extensions. Additionally, you can find information on administrative flexibilities issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) here. This is a key reference for anyone currently working under an active federal grant. The memo […]
SARE Roundup: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program Opportunities
Editor’s Note: This is the latest in a series of periodic blog posts on the happenings in each of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) regions, focusing on project solicitations and grant award announcements. Over the last 30 years, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has funded more than 6,800 farmer-driven research and education […]
$2 Million Available to Ramp Up Farm Stress Response
Farmers and ranchers across the country are in distress. Plummeting farm incomes, market instability, extreme weather patterns, and a thin disaster safety net has pushed many to bankruptcy, foreclosure, and even suicide. Farm Aid (an NSAC member) has seen a 109 percent increase in distressed farmer calls over the past year on their farmer hotline […]
SARE ROUNDUP: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program Opportunities
Editor’s Note: This is the latest in a series of periodic blog posts on the happenings in each of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) regions, focusing on project solicitations and grant award announcements. Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has funded 6,800 farmer-driven research and education initiatives through competitive […]
Organic Transitions Program Applications Now Open
On the heels of the publication of the Request for Applications (RFA) for the the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has also just released this year’s RFA for the Organic Transitions Program (ORG). Like they did with OREI, NIFA has […]
Organic Research Funding Opportunities Released
Family farmers, researchers, and advocates like the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) helped to achieve historic victories for the organic and research communities in the 2018 Farm Bill. Of particular significance was the establishment of permanent, mandatory funding for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) over the next five years. This funding increase […]
Upcoming Deadlines For Family Farm and Rural Community Research Grants
Five research, education and extension grant programs relevant to small and mid-scale family farms and rural economic development have upcoming deadlines for proposals. All there are funded through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the largest of the competitive grant programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). […]
$180 Million Available for AFRI Research Grant Projects
Farmers face a variety of challenges on their operations every day (e.g., figuring out how to suppress weeds, minimize pest pressures organically, and determining which plant varieties grow best in their climate). Many of these challenges are becoming increasingly difficult to resolve and detrimental to farmers’ bottom lines, particularly those caused by climate change. In […]
$9 Million in Funding Available for Risk Management Training
This week, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced the availability of nearly $9 million to support risk management farmer education grants. Funded projects will be awarded through two distinct but related RMA grant programs: the Risk Management Education Partnership Program (RMEP) and the Crop Insurance in Targeted States (TS) program. Additional details on each funding […]
New Funding Opportunity Aims to Increase Sustainability Research
A new funding opportunity offered by the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seeks to help researchers address critical challenges related to the long-term sustainability of agriculture. Late last month, NIFA released a new Request for Applications (RFA) for “Sustainable Agricultural Systems” projects under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). According to […]
Nearly $7 Million Available for Farmer Food Safety Training
Now that the new federal food safety requirements have finally been finalized for produce farmers and food processors, there is a critical need for targeted food safety training and outreach to get American producers and processors prepared for compliance with these new regulations. As part of its passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), […]
RFA Roundup: Funding Opportunities in the New Year
The New Year may have just started, but there are already many federal funding opportunities available for eligible farmers, ranchers, non-profits, and universities. Several of these opportunities opened last year and have rapidly approaching deadlines. Others have been more recently posted, and you may have missed the Request for Application (RFA) announcement during the end-of-year […]
RFA Roundup: Deadline Reminders and New Funding Opportunities
Many program application deadlines are quickly approaching, so if you are a farmer, rancher, non-profit organization, university or other eligible entity and are interested in securing some federal support, make sure you get your application in on time! As part of our ongoing efforts to help farmers and advocates stay up to date with federal […]
New Opportunities for Sustainable Agriculture Research
Overview All farmers know that success in agriculture requires more than just a green thumb and a little luck. Farmers rely upon experimentation and research to ensure their lands, crops and animals stay healthy and viable, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a primary source of support for this critical work. Last […]
RFA Roundup Pt. II: Deadline Reminders and New Applications
With two months of the fiscal year (FY) already underway, agricultural grant program deadlines are cropping up quickly, and many are expiring just as fast. In an effort to help farmers and advocates stay up to date with the deadlines and requirements of these Requests For Application (RFA) notices, we have updated our RFA Roundup […]
$100 Million Available for Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Grants
More than $100 million in grant funding is now available to support farm and food research, education, and extension projects that address key challenges, including those facing sustainable and organic farming systems and rural communities. This support is made available through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) – USDA’s largest federal competitive research grants […]
New Funding Available for Local and Regional Food Systems
APPLICATION DEADLINE is this week – 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 12, 2016 Local and regional food systems are expanding nationwide. These systems create new economic opportunities for small and mid-sized family farmers, increase consumer access to fresh and healthy food, and improve rural livelihoods. Over the past decade, local and regional food systems have […]
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, […]