Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program

RMA announces availability of approximately $2.5 million for partnership agreements to fund outreach projects to provide information and training for limited resource, socially disadvantaged and other traditionally under-served farmers and ranchers, who produce Priority Commodities as defined in Part I.C. Awards will be made on a competitive basis for projects of up to one year. Recipients must demonstrate non-financial benefits from a partnership agreement and must agree to the substantial RMA involvement in the project. More details can be accessed here.

Ag Awareness week: Resources for businesses

AG AWARENESS WEEK IS MARCH 15 - 20
Providing a Wealth of Production and Farm Business Development Ideas!
IN THE NEWS
3/5/2010 Ag Awareness Week has a new look this year (an article by Lydia Cottrell on the Times Observer website.)

Penn State Extension and the Future of Ag Task Force are proud to sponsor Ag Awareness Week, 2010. This year’s schedule includes:
Monday, March 15 - Agronomy Day
Tuesday, March 16 - Vegetable Day, Evening program - Backyard Gardens
Wednesday, March 17 - Dairy Day
Friday, March 19 - Business Development Day
Saturday, March 20 - Forestry/Natural Resources Day

All programs will be held at the Warren Extension Center in Youngsville, PA. See the Ag Awareness Week Schedule (a PDF file) for program details.
To register for any program, please print and mail in the registration form. The day time programs have a nominal ($10) fee to cover refreshments, lunch and materials. The registration deadline is March 12, 2010

Paul F. Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has announced a $20 million gift from the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation to support agribusiness entrepreneurship at the university.

Awarded as part of the University of Nebraska Foundation's Campaign for Nebraska, the grant will establish a permanently endowed fund for the Paul F. Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The endowment will support new student scholarships, an endowed chair, student courses, a lectureship series, entrepreneurship training, internship placement assistance, student travel, and a venture capital fund for student start-up businesses.

Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management
Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $1.1 million (subject
to availability of funds) for
Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education

Sessions (the Commodity Partnerships Small Sessions Program). The purpose of this
cooperative partnership agreement program is to deliver training and information
in management of production, marketing, and financial risk to U.S. agricultural
producers. The program gives priority to educating producers of crops currently
not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved
commodities,including livestock and forage. A maximum of 110 cooperative partnership
agreements will be funded, with a minimum of ten in each of the ten designated
RMA Regions. The maximum award for any cooperative partnership agreement will be
$10,000. Awardees must demonstrate non-financial benefits from a cooperative
partnership agreement and must agree to the substantial involvement of RMA in the
project. Funding availability for this program may be announced at approximately
the same time as funding availability for similar but separate programs--
CFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), and CFDA No.
10.458 (Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States). Prospective applicants should
carefully examine and compare the notices for each program.

Organic Ag grant

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 and ecosystem integration. 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.

CHS Foundation Mini-grants

The CHS Foundation grants up to $1,000 to innovative academic and leadership programs that strengthen student learning and enhance professional development. Examples include: leadership training opportunities, mentorship programs, professional development experiences and student fundraising efforts.

Student eligibility and funding criteria

* Must be a campus-sanctioned club/organization
* Must have an agricultural-related focus
* Club/organization may receive only one grant per academic semester
* An advisor must be listed as a contact
* Regular and ongoing club expenses are ineligible
Click here to complete and submit an electronic application. Questions can be directed to (800) 814-0506 or info@chsfoundation.org. Grants will be awarded on an on-going basis; there are no submission deadlines.

The CHS Foundation also offers three scholarship programs that focus on developing future leaders in agribusiness and production agriculture. Here are the programs offered:

* High School Scholarship Program
* Two-Year College Scholarship Program
* University Scholarship Program

Specialty Crop Block grant program

The purpose of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).” The agency, commission, or department 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 for grant funds directly to the USDA. Those interested in such programs should contact their local offices, listed on the USDA website.