Grant Opportunity Now Available For Northeast Producers
Grant Opportunity Now Available For Northeast Producers
BURLINGTON, VT â A regional grants program is offering funding to Northeast farmers interested in testing innovative production and marketing strategies, and sharing what they learn with other producers.
Applications are now available for the Northeast Region USDA-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Programâs 2001 Farmer/Grower Grants competition. Applications are due December 4, 2000.
âThis program provides an excellent opportunity for producers who want to try something a little different,â says Northeast SARE Program Manager Jim Gardiner. âIt helps farmers evaluate new practices and approaches, and other producers benefit by learning from grant recipientsâ experiences.â
The goal is to help farmers shift to production and marketing practices that are profitable, environmentally sound, and beneficial to the community. Proposals can address a broad range of agricultural and farm forestry production and marketing issues.
Grant funds can be used to rent equipment, buy materials, pay for project-related services like soil testing and technical advisors, and to compensate farmers for the time they spend on the project.
The Farmer Grant Program is not intended to provide startup funds for beginning farmers, nor to support capital improvements on individual farms.
The program is very competitive. Last year, there was sufficient funding for only half the applications received. The average grant was $4,351, although the program has awarded grants as large as $12,000 and as small as $300.
To be eligible for Northeast SARE funding, an applicant must be a commercial producer and reside in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, or West Virginia.
Funding decisions will be made in February 2001, and funds will be available in April for the 2001 crop production season.
To obtain an application, go to www.uvm.edu/~nesare/grants, e-mail nesare@zoo.uvm.edu, or call 802/656-0471.