Tag Archives: grants

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.

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).

USDA Farm To School Grant Program Announced

  By Farm Aid | February 28, 2013 - 10:38 am | ,
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Earlier this month, USDA announced the Farm to School Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to assist in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. On an annual basis, USDA awards up to $5 million in competitive grants for training, supporting operations, planning, purchasing equipment, developing school gardens, developing partnerships, and implementing farm to school programs.

Farmers and ranchers are eligible for certain categories of grant awards. In this funding round, USDA is soliciting applications for three types of grants:

  1. Planning grants are intended for school districts or schools just starting to incorporate farm to school program elements into their operations.
  2. Implementation grants are intended for school districts or schools to help scale or further develop existing farm to school initiatives.
  3. Support Service grants are intended for state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers, and non-profit entities working with school districts or schools to further develop existing farm to school initiatives and to provide broad reaching support services to farm to school initiatives.

Proposals are due at midnight EST, April 24, 2013. In all cases, a 25% cash or in-kind match of the total project cost is required.

For all questions pertaining to the USDA Farm to School Grant Program, please email: farmtoschool@fns.usda.gov.

  • An upcoming webinar for those interested in learning more about the Support Service Grants will be held Thursday, March 7, 1:00 p.m. EST. Both an Internet connection and telephone line are required to see and hear the webinar.
  • Access the webinar by clicking here.
  • Phone: 888-396-9185 Passcode: 3927574

Apply Now for Grants from the FruitGuys Community Fund

  By Farm Aid | February 15, 2013 - 9:00 am |
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The FruitGuys Community Fund, a nonprofit project established by the FruitGuys national fruit distribution company, will fund sustainability projects for small to mid-sized community farms. Grants of $2,500 – $5,000 will be awarded to 5 – 8 small farms, with a focus for the 2013 cycle on farms in Northern California or the Delaware Valley. Projects should focus on one of three areas:

  • Pest control (e.g., owl or bat boxes)
  • Pollination (e.g., beehives or hedgerows)
  • Soil health (e.g., cover crops or hoop houses)

The goal of the Community Fund is to help farms and orchards operate more sustainably, both environmentally and economically. For more information on how to apply (by the March 1st deadline), visit: http://fruitguyscommunityfund.org/apply

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.

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.

Funding Support for On-Farm Energy

  By Farm Aid | May 15, 2012 - 9:23 am |
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The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The REAP program offers grants and loan guarantees for farmers and rural small businesses to implement renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. REAP has several components, with the following deadlines:

  • Renewable energy system and energy efficiency improvement grant applications and combination grant and guaranteed loan applications until March 30, 2012;
  • Renewable energy system and energy efficiency improvement guaranteed loan only applications
  • on a continuous basis up to June 29, 2012;
  • Renewable energy system feasibility study applications through March 30, 2012; and Energy audits and renewable energy development assistance applications through February 21, 2012.

In addition, applicants who applied for REAP funding in FY2011 and were determined to be eligible, but
were not funded, may submit a written request to USDA to consider the application for FY2012 funds.

Click here for more information.

New National Funding for Farm to School

  By Farm Aid | May 14, 2012 - 9:32 am |
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Deadlines for the USDA Food & Nutrition Service (FNS) Farm to School Grant Program are quickly approaching! In this first funding cycle, FNS anticipates awarding up to $3.5 million to support Farm to School planning and implementation efforts in eligible schools. Be sure to mark your calendars: all eligible applicants are encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent by May 18, 2012, and final Farm to School grant proposals are due by June 15, 2012.

National Farm to School Director Deborah Kane and Grants Management Specialist Greg Walton will present two upcoming webinars to provide more information about the Farm to School Grant Program:

  • Tuesday, May 15, 3:00 pm EST – Implementation Grants webinar
  • Thursday, May 17, 1:00 pm EST – Planning Grants webinar

All webinar participants must register in advance.

For more information about the program, check out the new FAQ guide and sample planning and implementation grant proposals, now available on the Farm to School Grant Program website.