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.