Weekly Harvest Newsletter
Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - January 22, 2020
Weekly sustainable agriculture news and resources gleaned from the Internet by NCAT staff for the ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture website. The Weekly Harvest Newsletter is also available online.
News & Resources
- Farmers' Guide to the Value-Added Producer Grant Program Updated
- Volume 7 of Farmers' Guide to Disaster Assistance Available
- Midwest Vegetable Production Guide Updated
- Farmlink Website Connects Northwest Arkansas Landowners and Land Seekers
- Prairie Strips Now Eligible Conservation Practice for CRP
- Jane Hawley Stevens and David Stevens Named MOSES Organic Farmers of the Year
Funding Opportunities
- FFAR Seeding Solutions Grants
- Resilient Communities Program
- New Mexico Specialty Crop Block Grants
Coming Events
- Alaska Sustainable Agriculture Conference
- Business of Farming Conference
- Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association Conference
News & Resources
Farmers' Guide to the Value-Added Producer Grant Program Updated
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has released an updated version of its Farmers' Guide to Applying for the Value Added Producer Grant Program. It includes everything interested producers need to know about VAPG to determine if the program is a good fit for their operation, as well as details on changes made in the 2018 Farm Bill. The guide is available free online. The application period for the VAPG program is open until March 10, 2020.
Volume 7 of Farmers' Guide to Disaster Assistance Available
Farmers' Legal Action Group has released Volume 7 of its updated 7th edition of the Farmers' Guide to Disaster Assistance. This volume focuses on USDA's Livestock Forage Disaster Program. The free, 33-page PDF explains eligibility requirements, sign-up process, and payment process.
Related ATTRA Publication: Crop Insurance Options for Specialty, Diversified, and Organic Farmers
Midwest Vegetable Production Guide Updated
The 2020 edition of the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers is now available online. The information resource is a collaboration of land-grant universities from eight states: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Kansas, and Missouri. It provides vegetable production information that is valid in the participating states for the current year, including fertility, variety, cultural, and pest-management recommendations.
Related ATTRA Publication: Resource Guide to Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production
Farmlink Website Connects Northwest Arkansas Landowners and Land Seekers
Northwest Arkansas Land Trust has introduced NWA Farmlink, a free website to help farm seekers and farmland owners connect. The site serves farm seekers from anywhere and farmland owners with property in Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington Counties of Arkansas.
Prairie Strips Now Eligible Conservation Practice for CRP
Prairie strips are now an official practice under the Conservation Reserve Program's (CRP) Clean Lakes, Estuaries, and Rivers Initiative. Iowa State University researchers helped with the process of having the practice approved by translating experimental findings into real-world management guidelines that could be incorporated in policy.
Jane Hawley Stevens and David Stevens Named MOSES Organic Farmers of the Year
Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Services (MOSES) announced that Jane Hawley Stevens and David Stevens are its Organic Farmers of the Year. Their Four Elements Organic Herbals is a 130-acre farm in North Freedom, Wisconsin, that has been growing organic herbs and marketing herbal products for the past 32 years. They'll receive their award at the MOSES Organic Farming Conference in February.
>>More Breaking News
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Funding Opportunities
FFAR Seeding Solutions Grants
Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR) Seeding Solutions Grants are an open call for applicants to submit innovative and transformative research proposals that further any of six designated Challenge Areas and foster unique partnerships. Matching grants of $300,000 to $1 million are offered in each Challenge Area: Advanced Animal Systems, Health-Agriculture Nexus, Next-Generation Crops, Soil Health, Sustainable Water Management, or Urban Food Systems.
Pre-proposals are due February 26, 2020.
Resilient Communities Program
Wells Fargo and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have partnered to create the Resilient Communities program. In 2020, the program will invest approximately $3 million in three categories: 1) Adaptation through conservation projects; 2) Community capacity building and demonstration projects; and 3) Adaptation focused on affordable housing and small businesses. In Category 1, approximately $1.5 million is available. Grants will range from $200,000 to $500,000 to support highly impactful and visible conservation projects that help prepare for fire, floods, droughts, and/or sea-level rise nationwide.
Proposals are due by February 18, 2020.
New Mexico Specialty Crop Block Grants
New Mexico Department of Agriculture is accepting proposals for Specialty Crop Block Grants. These grants support projects to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and specialty crop farmers in domestic or foreign markets, including Native American and disadvantaged farmers. Increasing competitiveness may include developing local and rural food systems and improving food access in underserved communities. Projects range from one to three years in length and vary from $15,000 to more than $100,000.
Proposals are due by March 2, 2020.
>>More Funding Opportunities
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Coming Events
Alaska Sustainable Agriculture Conference
February 20-22, 2020
Anchorage, Alaska
The Alaska Sustainable Agriculture Conference brings farmers, ranchers, researchers, Extension agents, and others together to learn from one another and to find ways to continue to develop and improve the agriculture industry in Alaska.
Business of Farming Conference
February 22, 2020
Asheville, North Carolina
ASAP's Business of Farming Conference brings together professional farmers from across the Southeast region to network and share resources. Farmers will learn about marketing, business planning, branding, and management.
Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association Conference
February 24-25, 2020
Denver, Colorado
The Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association's sixth annual conference is designed for fruit and vegetable growers throughout Colorado of all scales, marketing channels, and production practices.
>>More Events
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ATTRA was developed and is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). The program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
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