USDA Grants Support Training for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

USDA -

United States Depanment of Agriculture

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

www.nifa.usda.gov @USDA_NIFA

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

USDA GRANTS SUPPORT TRAINING FOR BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS A PORTION OF THE GRANTS ARE TARGETED TOWARD MILITARY VETERANS AND LIMITED-RESOURCE FARMERS

T

HE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'S (USDA) NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (NIFA)

announced more than $18 million in grants to educate, mentor, and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers. NIFA funded the grants through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher

Development Program (BFRDP), which was authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill). University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

Michigan State University, East Lansing, Ml

Growing Power, Milwaukee, WI

$1,000,000 I This project will support an

$750,000 I The university will train and

$250,000 I This program will deliver

online beginning farmer and rancher library

support beginning farmers and ranchers

a hands-on, intensive six-week program

and provide other information and services

in three locations: an incubator farm for

to train 30 beginning farmers throughout

to new farmers, BFRDP grantees, and other

women in Genesee County; a cooperative

the United States in urban and peri-urban

organizations that serve new farmers.

of Hispanic farmers in southwest Michigan;

agriculture. The program will target socially­

and the MSU organic farm.

disadvantaged audiences.

$743,028 I This project will provide

Center for Transformative Action,

Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

support and coordination to refugee/

Ithaca, NY

$664,892 I This project will carry out

immigrant beginning farmer and rancher

$707,727 I This project will provide

a "seamless learning progression from

programs around the country.

comprehensive training, mentoring,

basic to advanced" for beginning farmers

and incubation to beginning farmers

and ranchers using a hybrid on-line and

and ranchers in the Finger Lakes region

face-to-face format.

Third Sector New England, Boston, MA

Hmong American Partnership, St Paul, MN

$603,790 I This project will help 50 Hmong refugee farmers expand their businesses and provide education to

500 new Hmong farmers.

Grassworks, Inc., Seymour; WI

$750,000 I Grassworks and the University of Wisconsin in Madison will expand the dairy apprenticeship program to Missouri in a state-by-state expansion to a national program. University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI

$712,500 I This project will train new farmers in a five-level program; they expect to enroll 225 students who will develop business plans start new businesses. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

$712,500 I This project will provide advanced training and support to

500

advanced beginners and 100 military

veterans who are seeking to start farming.

of New York.

Purdue University, West Lafayette, JN

Pennsylvania State University,

$681,405 I This project will improve

University Park, PA

the infrastructure for beginning farmers

$461,031 I This project will use on-farm

and ranchers, particularly small farmers

demonstrations, study circles, a fruit

and veterans, through training for extension

growers' school, and networks to help

educators, short courses, curriculum,

235 Pennsylvania farmers and share

farmer-to-farmer experiences, and

online resources nationally.

other means.

Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA

Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

$366,976 I This project will teach organic

$724,828 I This project will conduct local,

farming to beginning farmers, with a focus

regional, and statewide programs targeting

on military veterans. A military veteran

an estimated

farmer mentoring network will also be

socially disadvantaged and veteran

established.

beginning farmers and ranchers.

600 participants, including

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR

Stone Barns Center, Pocantico Hills, NY

$749,720 I This university collaboration

$744,951 I This project will deliver

will develop an online and in-person

programs on resilient agricultural practices,

training and mentoring program for

including experiential-based technical

military veterans and minority farmers.

training, land access opportunities, business skills, midsize farming experience, and online community and connectivity. continued next page>>

USDA is.an equill opportunity provider and employer• Ji1nu1ry 2015

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS: USDA GRANTS SUPPORT TRAINING FOR BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS (CONTINUED) University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Seattle T ilth Association, Seattle, WA

National Farmers Organization, Ames, IA

$652,852 I This project will deliver three

$750,000 I This project will serve

$100,000 I This development grant will

courses (business management, fruits and

limited-resource beginning farmers

enable the National Farmers Organization

vegetables, small ruminants) through

and ranchers in the Puget Sound Region,

to submit a future proposal for training

in-person training, webinars, and a hands­

including immigrants and refugees, through

beginning dairy farmers, both organic

on program (internships, incubatees, and

training programs and incubator farms.

and conventional.

mentorships) for

70 new small farmers,

emphasizing limited-resource and minority participants.

Recirculating Farms Coalition, Inc.,

Sustainable Farming Association

New Orleans, LA

of Minnesota, Princeton, MN

$500,000 I This project will host weekend

$100,000 I This development grant will

Community Food and Agriculture Coalition,

and evening sessions for new and beginning

enable the Sustainable Farming Association

Missoula, MT

urban farmers in New Orleans, with a focus

to submit a future proposal to train 40

$266,946 I This project will offer work­

on water-based recirculating aquaculture,

beginning farmers and ranchers to improve

shops, on-farm field days, a website, and

as well as soil-based production.

their business and farming success.

Community CROPS, Lincoln, NE

Southern Appalachian Highlands

local investing tools to deliver Montana­ specific resources on financial, legal, and production issues to limited-resource

$381,726 I This project will provide training

150 Hispanic

Conservancy, Asheville, NC

$100,000 I This development grant will

beginning farmers and ranchers.

and technical assistance to

and other limited-resource and socially

enable Southern Appalachian Highlands

Northwest Natural Resource Group,

disadvantaged beginning farmers and

to submit a future proposal to provide

Seattle, WA

ranchers in Nebraska.

$167,942 I This project will conduct workshops and landowner site visits and work to develop economic opportunities and improved market opportunities for new forest owners of 20-500 acre parcels in southwestern Washington and northern Oregon.

Cultivating Community, Portland, ME

$750,000 I This project will provide

Veteran Farms, LLC, Middleburg, FL

intensive, land-based training to four

$95,747 I This development grant will

cohorts of new farmers in Maine, mostly

enable Veterans Farm, a handicap-accessible

socially-disadvantaged/limited-resource

farm for disabled combat veterans, to develop a future proposal to design an

immigrants.

Tyonek Tribal Conservation District,

University of California, Berkeley, CA

Anchorage, AK

$750,000 I This project will support the

$427,740 I This project will provide

economic and ecological viability of

education and technical assistance to Alaska native, socially-disadvantaged and limited­ resource, beginning farmers and ranchers. University of Nevada, Reno, NV

$692A33 I This project aims to improve the profits and sustainability of and

425 new

600 existing beginning farmers and

ranchers. South Dakota State University,

Brookings, SD $659,621 I This project will offer training in beginning commercial horticulture and beginning ranching to Native Americans on three reservations, including outreach to veterans through tribal offices and events. University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

$750,000 I This project will serve Native American, veteran, limited-resource youth, and other beginning farmers and ranchers in Arizona and New Mexico, using courses, field days, a production cost estimator, and mentoring.

beginning limited resource farmers training and land access opportunities.

intensive, three-month training curriculum that focuses on mentoring, and support locating land.

beginning farmers and ranchers in 10

Holmes County Food Hub, Goodman, MS

Central California counties, including urban,

$100,000 I This development grant will

peri-urban and rural beginning farmers

enable Holmes County Food Hub to develop

and ranchers from diverse communities. Prairie View A&M University,

Prairie View, TX

a future proposal to train limited-resource farmers in Mississippi how to participate in farm-to-school marketing.

$591,298 I This project will use a model

Farmer Veteran Coalition, Davis, CA

farm concept at the university farm and

$100,000 I This development grant will

on farms in targeted counties to engage

enable Farmer Veteran Coalition to submit

limited-resource farmers. Global Garden Refugee Training Program,

a future proposal to build a national peer network for veteran-to-veteran learning.

Chicago, IL

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable

$71,080 I This development grant will

Agriculture, Millheim, PA

enable Global Garden Refugee Training

$100,000 I This development grant will

Program to submit a future proposal for a series of

12 six-week courses to train

refugee farmers in Illinois. World Farmers, Inc., Lancaster, MA

enable the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture to submit a future proposal to foster beginning farmers and ranchers using a variety of training methods.

$100,000 I This development grant will

Whitaker Small Farm Group Inc., Garner, NC

enable World Farmers, Inc., to submit

$100,000 I This development grant

a future proposal to train immigrant and

will enable Whitaker Small Farm Group

refugee beginning farmers and ranchers

to submit a future proposal to serve

in Massachusetts and Rhode Island with

limited-resource farmers in central and

a hands-on approach.

eastern North Carolina.