Entries by Tracy Mumma

Efforts to Revive American Chestnuts Progressing

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Devotees of the American Chestnut are making progress in their long-term efforts to bring the species back to American forests, reports The Post and Courier in Greenville, South Carolina. Root rot and blight virtually eradicated a tree species that was a significant component of eastern forests and that provided an ecological and economic underpinning for […]

Business Builder Award Program: Nevada

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Applications are due February 3, 2025. The Southwest Regional Food Business Center’s Business Builder Award Program is offering funding to support the development of local and regional food supply chains by providing capital directly to businesses to access and/or expand market outlets and connect with local and regional supply chains. All applicants must be small […]

Michigan Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

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Applications close on February 6, 2025. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Specialty Crop Block Grant Program awards funds to projects to enhance the competitiveness of Michigan specialty crops. Nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, and local, state, and federal government entities, including tribal governments, are eligible to apply. Proposals for grant funds should show […]

Virtual Fence Conservation Fund

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Applications are due by February 1, 2025. The Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) is accepting applications to the Virtual Fence Conservation Fund. This $250,000-dollar initiative aims to enhance wildlife conservation by empowering ranchers and conservationists to adopt virtual fencing technology on public and private lands. The fund is accepting applications from ranchers, landowners, and […]

Fly Pollinators at Risk from Higher Temperatures

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Penn State University published a study in the Journal of Melittology that explored the heat tolerance for a variety of species of bees and flies in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. The research team notes that flies play an important, and often unrecognized, role as pollinators, second only to bees. They are the […]

Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative

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Applications are due February 13, 2025. USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture is accepting applications for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), which seeks to solve critical organic agriculture issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research, education, and extension activities. The purpose of this program is to fund projects that […]

USDA Announces Final Installment of Assistance for Distressed Farm Loan Borrowers

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USDA announced an additional approximately $300 million in assistance to distressed direct and guaranteed farm loan borrowers under Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. Over the past two years, USDA has assisted distressed borrowers with approximately $2.5 billion to help with retaining their land and continuing their agricultural operations. USDA expects this final round […]

Food Hub Case Study Offers Insights

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Washington State University Extension released Food Hub Adaptation: A Case Study of Local Inland Northwest Cooperative Foods, a free, 15-page publication on an established food hub in eastern Washington. In this case study, farmers and providers interested in starting or improving a food hub can learn about hub economics, facilities, policies, products, planning, and more. […]

USDA Announces Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program Awards in Maine and California

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USDA announced that it is awarding Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) grants in Maine and California to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain and strengthen local and regional food systems. This awarded funding is part of the $420 million available nationwide through the RFSI grant program. In Maine, five funded projects […]

Fruit Guys Community Fund

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Applications are due January 31, 2025. The Fruit Guys Community Fund is accepting applications from small U.S. farms for grants up to $5,000. For-profit operations less than 250 acres that have been in business at least two years are eligible to apply, as are agricultural nonprofits that have been in operation for at least three […]