Small Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grant

Description

Grant funding is available for Cooperative Development Centers, individual Cooperatives, or Groups of Cooperatives that serve socially-disadvantaged groups and where a majority of their governing board is comprised of members of socially-disadvantaged groups or at least 75 percent of their membership is comprised of socially-disadvantaged producers. The SSDPG Program is authorized by § 310B (e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932). The primary objective of the SSDPG program is to provide Technical Assistance to Small, Socially-Disadvantaged Agricultural Producers. 

Link to Additional Information

Program Information

Notice of Funds Availability - Market Access Program

Description

The MAP is designed to create, expand, and maintain foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities and products through cost-share assistance. Financial assistance under the MAP will be made available on a competitive basis, and applications will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained herein and in the MAP regulations. All U.S. agricultural commodities, except tobacco, are eligible for consideration. 

Link to Additional Information

Market Development Programs

Notice of Funds Availability - Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program

Description

The TASC program is designed to assist U.S. organizations by providing funding for projects that address sanitary, phytosanitary, or related technical barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S. specialty crops. U.S. specialty crops, for the purpose of the TASC program, are defined to include all cultivated plants, or the products thereof, produced in the United States, except wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar, and tobacco. 

Link to Additional Information

Market Development Programs

USDA and Education Host White House Rural Council Meeting, Sign Interagency Agreement to Promote Career Pathways and Postsecondary Education

[from the US DEPT OF EDUCATION] APRIL 18, 2012

Contact:  

 U.S. Education Department Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov 

USDA Office of Communications, 202-720-4623

The U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture have teamed up to enhance agricultural education and related programs that promote postsecondary and career pathways, including teaching, according to an interagency agreement to advance agricultural education. U.S. Education and Agriculture Secretaries Arne Duncan and Tom Vilsack announced the agreement today during a White House Rural Council meeting with local educators at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

“Agricultural education is central to the future of American prosperity,” Secretary Duncan said. “Many Americans may not realize that agriculture supports 1 in 12 jobs across the nation. For the U.S. economy to continue to rebound and grow, agriculture has to help lead the way.”

Duncan added: “Agricultural educators face unique challenges—but they also can tap into unique strengths within their tight-knit communities. Agricultural education is very much about the jobs of the future—and not a backwards-looking curriculum to preserve the past.”

“American agriculture makes incredible contributions to the health of our economy and the strength of our nation as a whole. That’s why it’s so important to recruit the best and brightest of the next generation to pursue careers in agriculture,” said Vilsack. “USDA works each day to help educate, train and support the scientists, farmers and ranchers we’ll need to provide America’s families with the food and energy they need. This partnership with the Department of Education will help us offer even greater opportunities for young people who want to dedicate their lives to agriculture, food and natural resources.”

The agreement calls for the Departments to exchange a variety of information and participate in joint activities, including webinars, conferences, outreach materials, and helping each other identify industry-validated standards, assessments, best practices, accreditations, and certifications. The Departments also will work jointly to find and use pathways and career programs of study that can prepare students for rewarding careers related to agriculture, food and natural resources.

Risk Management Education and Outreach Partnership Program

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Synopsis

Full Announcement

Application

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The synopsis for this grant opportunity is detailed below, following this paragraph. This synopsis contains all of the updates to this document that have been posted as of 04/12/2012 . If updates have been made to the opportunity synopsis, update information is provided below the synopsis.If you would like to receive notifications of changes to the grant opportunity click send me change notification emails . The only thing you need to provide for this service is your email address. No other information is requested.

Any inconsistency between the original printed document and the disk or electronic document shall be resolved by giving precedence to the printed document.

Document Type:	Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number:	RMA-RME-OR-2012
Opportunity Category:	Discretionary
Posted Date:	Apr 12, 2012
Creation Date:	Apr 12, 2012
Original Closing Date for Applications:	May 24, 2012
Current Closing Date for Applications:	May 24, 2012
Archive Date:	Jun 23, 2012
Funding Instrument Type:	Cooperative Agreement
Category of Funding Activity:	Education
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards:	120
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$3,000,000
Award Ceiling:	$99,999
Award Floor:	$20,000
CFDA Number(s):	10.459  --  Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:	No

Eligible Applicants

Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"
 

Additional Information on Eligibility:

Agency Name

Risk Management Education

Description

The purpose of this competitive cooperative partnership agreement program is to deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to U.S. agricultural producers to assist them in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial and human risk. 

Link to Full Announcement

RME and Outreach 2012 RFA

Conservation Partners grants open

[from Philanthropy News Digest] Conservation Partners, a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and other regional/initiative specific partners, provides grants on a competitive basis to organizations working with NRCS field offices to provide technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, foresters, and other private landowners to optimize wildlife habitat conservation on private lands.

Conservation Partners aims to better focus and increase the effectiveness of Farm Bill assistance funded through programs such as the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Reserve Program, and others. In addition, C P will consider funding capacity and outreach for organizations whose mission matches the goals of the program. Priority will be given to proposals that target species and ecosystems of shared interest between NFWF and NRCS, including but not limited to the following areas: Northeast forests, Upper Mississippi River basin, Gulf of Mexico, and prairie pothole.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit 501(c) organizations, educational institutions, tribal governments, and state or local units of governments (e.g., state conservation agencies, counties, townships, cities, conservation districts, utility districts, drainage districts, and others). Individuals, federal government agencies, and for-profit firms are not eligible for grants under this program. Project proposals must include a letter of commitment from the respective NRCS state conservationist(s).

Typical grant awards will range from $50,000 to $250,000. Each program priority area is expected to receive between $500,000 and $1,000,000.

A webinar to discuss the goals of the program and the application process will be held on February 23, 2012.

The complete Request for Proposals, map of priority project areas, and webinar details are available at the NFWF Web site. Link to Complete RFP

Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)

The OREI seeks to solve critical organic agriculture issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research and extension activities. The purpose of this program is to fund projects that will enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic agricultural products. Priority concerns include biological, physical, and social sciences, including economics. The OREI is particularly interested in projects that emphasize research and outreach that assist farmers and ranchers with whole farm planning. Projects should plan to deliver applied production information to producers. Fieldwork must be done on certified organic land or on land in transition to organic certification, as appropriate to project goals and objectives. Refer to the USDA National Organic Program (http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop) for organic production standards. Who Is Eligible to Apply 1862 Land-Grant Institutions 1890 Land-Grant Institutions 1994 Land-Grant Institutions For-profit Organizations Other Than Small Businesses Individuals Other or Additional Information (See below) Private Institutions of Higher Ed State Agricultural Experiment Stations State Controlled Institutions of Higher Ed More Information on Eligibility The following entities are eligible: 1. State agricultural experiment stations; 2. colleges and universities; 3. university research foundations; 4. other research institutions and organizations; 5. Federal agencies; 6. national laboratories; 7. private organizations or corporations; 8. individuals who are United States citizens or nationals; or 9. any group consisting of 2 or more of the entities described in subparagraphs (1) through (8). Request for Application (RFA) | Apply: Electronic | Abstracts of Funded Projects

Solicitation Date (Opening) January 17, 2012 Letter of Intent Due Date None Due Date (Closing) March 9, 2012 Estimated Total Program Funding $19,000,000.00 Range of Awards $0.00 to $2,000,000.00 Percent of Applications Funded Last Fiscal Year 24% Cost Sharing Requirements See RFA For More Information Contact Steven I. Smith Funding Opportunity Number USDA-NIFA-ICGP-003649 CFDA Number 10.307 Contact for Electronic Access Problems webcomments@nifa.usda.gov

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program - Farm Bill

Description

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of approximately $55 million in grant funds, less USDA administrative costs, to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture). State departments of agriculture interested in obtaining grant program funds are invited to submit applications to USDA. State departments of agriculture, meaning agencies, commissions, or departments of a State government responsible for agriculture within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are eligible to apply. Please contact your local State department of agriculture if you are not eligible to apply. State departments of agriculture are encouraged to conduct outreach regarding the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program – Farm Bill to specialty crop stakeholders, socially disadvantaged, and beginning farmers and conduct a competitive grant proposal process. State department of agriculture contacts can be found at www.ams.usda.gov/scbgp. Select “State Contact” from the right navigation bar. Applications from State departments of agriculture must be submitted by July 11, 2012. For more information, please review the Notice of Funds Availability at www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-02-08/pdf/2012-2849.pdf. 

Higher Education Challenge (HEC) Grants Program

Deadline: March 30, 2012

Applications may be submitted by: (a) U.S. public or private nonprofit colleges and universities offering a baccalaureate or first professional degree in at least one discipline or area of the food and agricultural sciences; (b) land-grant colleges and universities, (including land grant institutions in the Insular Areas); (c) colleges and universities having significant minority enrollments and a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food and agricultural sciences; and (d) other colleges and universities having a demonstrable capacity to carry out the teaching of food and agricultural sciences. 

Agency Name

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Description

Projects supported by the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program will: (1) address a State, regional, national, or international educational need; (2) involve a creative or non-traditional approach toward addressing that need that can serve as a model to others; (3) encourage and facilitate better working relationships in the university science and education community, as well as between universities and the private sector, to enhance program quality and supplement available resources; and (4) result in benefits that will likely transcend the project duration and USDA support. 

Link to Full Announcement

Higher Education Challenge (HEC) Grants Program

PA Ag webinar to focus on financing

Lending in Greener Pastures: Taking a Closer Look at Agricultural Economic Development

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Webinar
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Conference Info & Registration

Farmers Grow Rural Education program

[from Philanthropy News Digest] Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, has announced the launch of its America's Farmers Grow Rural Education program. The grant program will provide grants in over twelve hundred counties across thirty-nine states to help strengthen local communities and education systems, especially in the areas of science and/or math. Grants will be awarded based on merit, need, and community support.

The program invites farmers to nominate a public school district in their community to compete for a grant. Administrators from nominated school districts can then submit an application for either a $10,000 or $25,000 grant to support a science and/or math education program.

School districts that apply for a $10,000 grant will compete against other school districts located in a USDA-appointed Crop Reporting District; CRDs with fewer than five eligible school districts will compete against each other for a single grant. A school district that applies for a $25,000 grant will compete against schools located in its state or designated region. The Monsanto Fund will award a hundred and ninety-nine grants through the program in 2012: a hundred and seventy-seven $10,000 grants and twenty-two grants of $25,000. Overall, the fund will donate more than $2.3 million to school districts through the program.

To be eligible to submit a nomination, farmers must be at least 21 years old and actively engaged in farming a minimum of two hundred and fifty acres of corn, soybeans, and/or cotton, and/or forty acres of open field vegetables, or at least ten acres of vegetables grown in protected culture; and must reside in eligible counties where a minimum of thirty thousand acres of corn and/or soybeans and/or cotton and/or vegetables are planted each year.

Visit the America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Web site for the complete list of eligible states and regions, program guidelines, and nomination procedures.

Link to Complete RFP

Monsanto Fund Invites Farmers to Nominate School Districts for America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Grant Program

Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, has announced the launch of its America's Farmers Grow Rural Education program.

The grant program will provide grants in over twelve hundred counties across thirty-nine states to help strengthen local communities and education systems, especially in the areas of science and/or math. Grants will be awarded based on merit, need, and community support.

The program invites farmers to nominate a public school district in their community to compete for a grant. Administrators from nominated school districts can then submit an application for either a $10,000 or $25,000 grant to support a science and/or math education program.

School districts that apply for a $10,000 grant will compete against other school districts located in a USDA-appointed Crop Reporting District; CRDs with fewer than five eligible school districts will compete against each other for a single grant. A school district that applies for a $25,000 grant will compete against schools located in its state or designated region. The Monsanto Fund will award a hundred and ninety-nine grants through the program in 2012: a hundred and seventy-seven $10,000 grants and twenty-two grants of $25,000. Overall, the fund will donate more than $2.3 million to school districts through the program.

To be eligible to submit a nomination, farmers must be at least 21 years old and actively engaged in farming a minimum of two hundred and fifty acres of corn, soybeans, and/or cotton, and/or forty acres of open field vegetables, or at least ten acres of vegetables grown in protected culture; and must reside in eligible counties where a minimum of thirty thousand acres of corn and/or soybeans and/or cotton and/or vegetables are planted each year.

Visit the America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Web site for the complete list of eligible states and regions, program guidelines, and nomination procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Pennsylvania Eligible Counties:
CRD 10: Crawford, Erie, Mercer
CRD 20: Lycoming
CRD 40: Butler, Indiana
CRD 50: Blair, Centre, Columbia, Dauphin, Northumberland, Perry
CRD 60: Lehigh, Northampton, Schuykill 
CRD 70: Somerset, Westmoreland
CRD 80: Adams, Bedford, Cumberland, Franklin, York
CRD 90: Berks, Chester, Lancaster, Lebanon