Entries by Tracy Mumma

Marbleseed’s Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program Accepting Signups

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Marbleseed’s Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship program offers beginning producers personalized advice and one-on-one guidance from a hand-picked farmer mentor. The $350 program also includes tips on how to prepare for organic certification and two free admissions to the 2025 Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in February. Producers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota, or South […]

Choose Iowa Value-Added Grants

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Applications are due by January 31, 2025. Choose Iowa Value Added Grants from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship match up to $25,000 per project to help farmers, businesses, and non-profits increase or diversify their agricultural product offerings, which provide more local food choices to consumers. Applicants can use Choose Iowa grant funding […]

USDA Announces Investment in Local Food Programs

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USDA announced a $1.13 billion investment to support local and regional food systems, building upon the Department’s previous investments in the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) programs. This funding will allow states, territories, and federally recognized Tribes to purchase wholesome, locally produced foods for distribution within their […]

Farmers Guide to FSA County Committee Elections Now Available

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A new, free publication is available online from Farmers’ Legal Action Group (FLAG). Farmers’ Guide to County Committee Elections in the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) explains the rules governing the election of FSA County Committee members. Because FSA County Committees exercise significant power over the delivery of FSA services at the county level, FLAG […]

Online Decision Tool Helps Identify Areas for Agroforestry

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Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed an online Agroforestry Suitability Decision Support Tool for the Midwest. The tool can assist program administrators in identifying areas that are most suitable to prioritize for developing agroforestry, based on environmental, social, and economic criteria. Users can define the criteria they want to use for modeling the […]

New Jersey Launches Dual-Use Agrivoltaics Pilot Program

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The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) launched a Dual-Use Agrivoltaics Pilot Program, touted as the first state-led dual-use agrivoltaics programs in the country. The Dual-Use Pilot will incorporate solar panels on designated farmland to produce renewable energy while securing a new revenue stream for farmers. The Dual-Use Pilot will facilitate the installation and […]

Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program Grants to Fund 24 Iowa Projects

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The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is investing more than $5.2 million in 24 Iowa projects and other supply chain improvement initiatives through USDA’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant program. The Department offered applications for two types of grants, including a larger infrastructure grant and a smaller equipment grant, both of which […]

Minnesota Preparing for Extreme Weather Grant

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Applications are due February 12, 2025. Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is offering a grant opportunity to help eligible producers make their operations more resilient to drought, flooding, and severe weather events like storms, tornadoes, and straight-line winds. The Preparing for Extreme Weather Grant offers grants of up to $10,000 for Minnesota livestock and specialty […]

Oregon Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

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Applications are due January 31, 2025. The Oregon Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds to enhance the competitiveness of Oregon specialty crops. Eligible entities include nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, local, state and federal government entities, including tribal governments, and public and private colleges and universities. Applications for grant […]

New Report Highlights Farm to Food Assistance Model

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The Wallace Center’s Food Systems Leadership Network (FLSN) released a new report, Farm to Food Assistance: A Model for Values-Based, Equity Centered Approaches to Transforming the Food System. This report is the culmination of four years of research, peer learning, and field building. The 47-page report makes the case for how farm to food assistance […]