Funding for new farmers

One of the things that agricultural agencies and interest groups in America are hoping to nuture are new farmers. With the growing interest in setting up small farms, artisinal farm products, like cheese, and the growing market for organic and herbal crops and heritage meat and milk production, more people are interested in starting their own farms, but have no idea of how to finance them. Help is out there.

Start out with this great Beginning Farmers website. It has lots of information on starting farming, urban farming, permaculture, small animal husbandry and more. And its funding resources page gets you started on grants and loans. If you are a regular reader to this blog, you have already guessed that loans make up the vast majority of the financial help listed--because they aren't rip-off artists, and reflect reality. And if you just want money for general start-up costs, like buying the land and equipment, most of that will probably come from loans. The Beginning Farmers will show you all that as well. But even within the confines of reality, there are some outright grants in there.

Another good source is this page from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. It gives some grant contracts, tips on successful grant writing in agriculture, and links to other forms of financing on the left-hand side of the page.

One grant source is value-added producer grants. These are given to cooperatives, as well as individual farmers and ranchers for: "planning activities and for working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy." "Value added agricultural products" are those that are further processed after harvesting. Also available are grants for renewable energy systems and energy audits.

Another is the site run by the Sustainable Agriculture and Resource Education program. These are for research, marketing, and sustainable innovations.

Don't forget the programs that may be run by the Agriculture Department in your own state. This is a chart of state programs.

Application Period for Grants Under the Direct Farm Sales Grant Program; 2011 Project Year

[40 Pa.B. 5823]
[Saturday, October 9, 2010]

 An application period has begun for grants under the Direct Farm Sales Grant Program (Program) administered by the Department of Agriculture (Department), Bureau of Food Distribution (Bureau). For the 2011 Project Year, the application period is October 12, 2010, to November 23, 2010. Information about the Program and application forms can be accessed at the Department web site at www.agriculture.state.pa.us under the Bureau or by contacting the Bureau at (800) 468-2433, ask to speak with Sandy Hopple.

 In summary, the Program provides funds to Commonwealth-based businesses that manage or operate a farm stand or farmers' markets, nonprofit organizations, farmers and local governments for projects intended to promote new or existing farmers' markets. Projects must pertain to specialty crops. The maximum grant amount per farm stand or farmers' market location shall be $7,500 and applicants shall be expected to provide 25% of the approved grant amount in matching funds or in-kinds goods or services. The anticipated date for the award of grants and notice thereof is expected to be on or before January 31, 2011. The application, work plan and budget should reflect March 1, 2011, as the project start date and the project completion date will be September 30, 2011.

 Applications for the Program will be accepted by the Department beginning Tuesday, October 12, 2010, and continue through Tuesday, November 23, 2010. Applications to be hand-delivered must be received by 4 p.m. in the Bureau on Tuesday, November 23, 2010, the closing date. Applications which are mailed must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, November 23, 2010, and received no later than December 1, 2010.

 Completed applications should be addressed to or delivered to Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Distribution, Direct Farm Sales Grant Program, 2301 North Cameron Street, Room 401, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408.

RUSSELL C. REDDING, 
Secretary

Community Food Projects

Community Food Projects should be designed to (1): (A) meet the food needs of low-income people; (B) increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for their own food needs; and (C) promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues; and/or (2) meet specific state, local, or neighborhood food and agriculture needs for (A) infrastructure improvement and development; (B) planning for long-term solutions; or (C) the creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and low-income consumers.

Farms in Venango, Warren and surrounding counties eligible for funding

[From Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper's website] Washington—Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-3) announced that farmers in Venango, Warren, Armstrong, Butler, Crawford, Erie and Mercer Counties are eligible to be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans (EM) and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE) due to a late-season frost that occurred from May 8-10, 2010.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides emergency loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, flooding, other natural disasters, or quarantine. Emergency loan funds may be used to:

* Restore or replace essential property;
* Pay all or part of production costs associated with the disaster year;
* Pay essential family living expenses;
* Reorganize the farming operation; and
* Refinance certain debts.

Producers can borrow up to 100 percent of actual production or physical losses, to a maximum amount of $500,000. The SURE Program provides financial assistance for crop production or quality losses due to natural disaster. That assistance is based on a calculated formula.

The Pennsylvania State Farm Insurance Agency can be reached at (717) 237-2117. The individual county offices’ phone numbers are:

* Armstrong County: (724) 545-1022
* Butler County: (724) 482-4800 ext 2
* Crawford County: (814) 336-2127 ext 2
* Erie County: (814) 796-6760 ext 2
* Mercer County: (724) 662-2890 ext 2
* Venango County (Clarion County office): (814) 226-8160
* Warren County (Clarion County office): (814) 226-8160

Rural Cooperative Development Grants

Rural Cooperative Development grants are made for establishing and operating centers for cooperative development for the primary purpose of improving the economic condition of rural areas through the development of new cooperatives and improving operations of existing cooperatives. The U.S. Department of Agriculture desires to encourage and stimulate the development of effective cooperative organizations in rural America as a part of its total package of rural development efforts.

AFRI NIFA Fellowships Grant Program

AFRI NIFA Fellowships Grant Program
Estimated Total Program Funding: $6,000,000
Award Ceiling: $130,000
CFDA Number(s): 10.310 -- Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)
Eligible Applicants:
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
Individuals
For profit organizations other than small businesses
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Eligible applicants for the program implemented under this subpart include: (1) State Agricultural Experiment Stations; (2) colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher); (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 U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents; and (9) any group consisting of 2 or more entities identified in (1) through (8). Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations. See RFA for additional details.

Organic Transitions Program

The overall goal of the Organic Transitions Program (ORG) is to support the development and implementation of research, extension and higher education programs to improve the competitiveness of organic livestock and crop producers, as well as those who are adopting organic practices. In FY 2010, ORG will focus on environmental services provided by organic farming systems that support soil conservation and contribute to climate change mitigation. Practices and systems to be addressed include those associated with organic crops, organic animal production (including dairy), and organic systems integrating plant and animal production.

Total Funding: $4,700,000
Award Ceiling: $700,000
Deadline: July 1, 2010