Tag Archives: funding

USDA Announces Rural Business Opportunity Grants

  By Farm Aid | May 16, 2013 - 11:43 am |
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The USDA’s Rural Development Agency is now considering applications for Rural Business Opportunity Grants. While these grants are not for farmers specifically, they can be used for programs that help farmers and encourage business and employment in rural communities. The Rural Development Agency is offering these grants in the hopes they will bring about a resurgence of jobs in rural areas.

The following groups are eligible: public entities, nonprofits, institutions of higher education, Indian tribes on Federal or State reservations, and rural cooperatives.

Up to $2.6 million is available for projects. Before June 30, 2013, $919,820 has been explicitly allocated to American Indian tribes, and $790,303 reserved for Rural Economic Area Projects. After June 30th $790,303 will be available—unreserved—for a variety of projects. The maximum grant award is $100,000.

Applications deadlines are as follows: Paper applications must either be hand delivered to a Rural Development field office, or postmarked by June 28, 2013. USDA must receive electronic applications no later than midnight June 24, 2013. Click here to submit an electronic application.

Visit the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s website to learn about the 2012 projects that received Rural Business Opportunity Grants.

For more information call the Rural Business-Cooperative Service at the USDA at: 202-720-7558, or click here.

Conservation Stewardship Program passes Congress — Apply Now!

  By Farm Aid | April 29, 2013 - 12:40 pm | ,
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In the first four enrollment years for CSP (2009-2012), more than 39,000 farmers and ranchers operating over 50 million acres of farm and ranch land that is now under five-year, renewable CSP conservation contracts. Annual CSP payments are currently $680 million a year!

The CSP is a working lands conservation program administered by the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service and available on a nationwide basis. CSP offers technical and financial assistance to farmers for adopting and maintaining high standards of resource conservation and environmental stewardship.  Assistance is geared to both the active management of existing conservation systems and for implementing new conservation activities on land in agricultural production.  Find the enrollment alert here!

Application forms are available at your local NRCS state offices and farmers should visit their local service center to sign up.  State offices will have information on priority resource concerns for your state and agents available to help farmers.

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has created an essential guide to help farmers learn how to apply for the CSP and includes a list of organizations that can assist with the application process.  The Land Stewardship Project has a useful and up-to-date fact sheet.

Available Funding for Rural Energy Programs

  By Farm Aid | April 12, 2013 - 1:51 pm | , , ,
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2013 funding is available for the Rural Energy for America (REAP) program from the USDA. This program gives financial assistance in form of loan guarantees and grants to farmers and rural small businesses for conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Funds are also available for energy audits and assessments. Some eligible REAP projects include: solar panels, anaerobic digesters, installation of irrigation pumps or ventilation systems, as well as conducting energy audits and feasibility studies for such projects.

All grant and combination grant and loan proposals are due April 30th. Applications for feasibility studies are also due April 30th. Guaranteed loan applications (that don’t have a grant component) are due July 15th.

For more information about REAP, visit the USDA’s REAP portal, as well as the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s REAP page.

Details on how to apply for REAP funding available in the Federal Register.

For help with the application process, contact National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT).

Looking to Improve Animal Welfare on Your Farm? Apply for Fund-a-Farmer Grants!

  By Farm Aid | January 18, 2013 - 9:00 am | , ,
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The application period is open for the Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) Fund-a-Farmer Project: a micro-grants initiative that assists farmers in improving animal welfare. The Fund-a-Farmer Project grants up to $1,500 for projects that (1) help farms transition to pasture-based systems, (2) improve the marketing of their humane products, or (3) more generally enrich the conditions in which farm animals are raised. Last year, FACT awarded $13,000 to nine farms across the country.

Working, independent family farmers who raise pigs, broiler chickens, laying hens, dairy cows and/or beef cattle are eligible to apply for any of the grants. Projects involving goats and sheep are only eligible for marketing grants. Apply online at www.fundafarmer.org. Applications are due by May 1, 2013, and grants will be awarded in August 2013.

USDA Announces New Micro-loan Program

  By Farm Aid | January 16, 2013 - 12:52 pm | , ,
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The USDA has launched a new program that will provide micro-loans of up to $35,000 to small, beginning, and socially disadvantaged farmers. The program aims to help producers pay for start-up expenses (like hoop houses for season extension, essential tools, irrigation, delivery vehicles, etc.) and annual expenses (seed, fertilizer, utilities, land rents, marketing, and distribution costs). The USDA has purposely simplified the application process for this program, making it less burdensome in comparison to traditional federal farm loans.

If interested in applying for a loan, contact your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. For more information, see this fact sheet on the FSA’s website.

Hispanic & Women’s Discrimination Claims Process Now Open

  By Farm Aid | December 18, 2012 - 4:46 pm | , , ,
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The claims process for Hispanic & women farmers and ranchers claiming discriminatory FSA practices is now open. Farmers who faced discriminatory denials of farm loans or service assistance by the USDA between 1981 and 2000 can file their claims through March 25, 2013. This voluntary claims process offers an alternative to litigation and requires no fees or legal representation. At least $1.33 billion will be made available for awards and payments, and an additional $160 million will be available in farm debt relief to eligible farmers and ranchers. To register for a claims package, call 1-888-508-4429 or visit www.farmerclaims.gov.

Farm Aid’s partner, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives released Tips for Completing Claims Form for Hispanic and Women Farmers and Ranchers to assist farmers in the claims process. The guide provides in-depth explanations of each question on the USDA claims form and step-by-step instructions for how to answer and file properly. For direct assistance from the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, contact John Zippert, Director of Programs, at 205.652.9676 (johnzippert@federation.coop) or Mircha King, Lawsuit Legal Coordinator, at 800.503.5678 (mirchaking@federation.coop).

Another Farm Aid partner, the Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN) will host a free webinar on January 8, 2013 at 11 AM EST/10 AM Central Time to address questions about eligibility and offer assistance in filing claims. Representatives from the Farmers Legal Action Group and Rural Coalition/Coalicion Rural will be presenting. The public is invited to log-in here, or access the archived webinar through WFAN after the event.

 

Accepting Applications for The OEFFA Investment Fund

  By Farm Aid | December 11, 2012 - 3:17 pm | ,
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Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association (OEFFA), in partnership with the Sustainable Agriculture Fund, LLC announces the establishment of The OEFFA Investment Fund, to “promote sustainable agriculture in Ohio by making flexible and affordable capital available to farmers and farm-related businesses.”

In its pilot phase, the Fund has made $500,00 available as loans, land leases and equity investments for organic OEFFA members in Ohio. Typical investments range from $5,000 to $50,000, but requests for other amounts between $2,500 and $250,000 will be considered. These funds may be used for:

  • Capital investments and expenses that improve efficiency, quality or expansion of business production and sales
  • Repairs necessary to maintain business operations
  • Short-term operating needs, such as inventory, supplies or labor for expansion
  • Emergency funds to deal with business interruptions due to fire, natural disasters or other unforeseeable events
  • Other uses subject to the Fund’s Investment Committee approval

Visit the OEFFA Investment Fund’s webpage for more information on loan terms and conditions and application process guidelines. For information about the Fund contact the OEFFA office at (614) 421-2022 ext. 202, or OIFinfo@oeffa.org.

 

 

Organic Farming Research Foundation Accepting Grant Proposals

  By Farm Aid | November 6, 2012 - 12:05 pm | ,
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Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), in partnership with Seed Matters, is now accepting grant proposals for research or education and outreach projects in organic seed quality or crop breeding innovation through November 19, 2012.

OFRF will consider funding for research projects in topics, including, but not limited to:

  • Systems approaches to managing seed-borne diseases;
  • Developing seed treatments compliant with the organic standards;
  • Participatory plant breeding activities;
  • Developing strategies for maintaining integrity of organic seed.

Education and outreach proposals will be accepted for the development of interactive educational materials, activities and media for:

  • Effective seed treatments allowable under the organic standards;
  • Maintaining seed quality during processing and handling;
  • Small-scale seed harvesting, drying, and processing methods;
  • On-farm or participatory breeding and selection methods.

Grant applicants in Canada, Mexico and the United States are eligible for funding up to $15,000.00. Proposals may be submitted online, and funding decisions will be made in March 2013. For guidance in writing and submitting your proposal, contact OFRF at grants@ofrf.org, or (831) 426-6606.

Updated Farm Service Agency Loan Factsheets Available

  By Farm Aid | October 2, 2012 - 2:20 pm | , ,
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The Farm Service Agency (FSA) shared an updated farm loan program factsheet on its website with new information effective October 1, 2012. The factsheet provides an overview of the types of loans available and borrower eligibility information. Under the FSA farm loans program, farmers can apply for farm ownership loans, farm operating loans, a downpayment program for socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers, rural youth loans, emergency loans, conservation loans, land contract guarantees and loan servicing and supervised credit.

A Farm Loan Information Chart is also available, providing a concise summary for each loan program and details on the maximum borrowing amount and the rates and terms and use of proceeds for each type of loan.

Visit the FSA website for more information on FSA Farm Loan programs.

A Big Boost for Small Farmers: New Microloan Rule Proposed by FSA

  By Farm Aid | June 15, 2012 - 12:38 pm | ,
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A new rule proposed by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) suggests federal programs will be better equipped to meet the needs of America’s small farmers. The rule, announced by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack last week, creates a new microloan program for small and beginning farmers, providing loans of up to $35,000. These smaller loans are tailored to provide enough capital for farmers to cover the costs of running a smaller-scale operation, with a simplified and streamlined application process.

Public comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until July 23, 2012. Make your voice heard in support of this and other programs like it that support the needs of small, beginning and sustainable family farmers—click here to view the rule and submit your comments in support of this important work!