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.

PASA Conference

The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture will hold their 19th annual Farming for the Future conference in Penn State from February 4-6, 2010, at Penn State.

Profitability in the Dairy Industry conference

The Profitability and Environmental Sustainability in the Dairy Industry Conference will take place in Madison, WI, on February 10, 2010. The one-day event is hosted by the Madison, Wisconsin-based Dairy Business Innovation Center as a part of ACEEE's 2010 Forum on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture. More details are available at http://www.aceee.org/conf/10ag/dbic.htm.

Organic Ag Research grant

The USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture is accepting applications for 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. The deadline is February 16, 2010, and full guidelines for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative are available here.

Eligible entities include colleges and universities; other research institutions and organizations; private organizations or corporations; and individuals who are United States citizens or nationals, as well as other agencies.