News for Producers

Grants Available to Market Colorado Agriculture

The Colorado Department of Agriculture is accepting grant applications for funding through its new "Ag Products Utilization & Marketing Program." Grant funds will assist Colorado companies to research and develop new uses and markets for food and agricultural products that are grown, raised or processed in Colorado.

"The program is ideal for Colorado's farmers, ranchers and food processors, providing funds to assist with feasibility studies, market development and promotions," said Tom Lipetzky, markets division director of the Colorado Department of Agriculture. "Our goal is to help Colorado's food and agricultural suppliers position their businesses to take advantage of local, regional, national and international market opportunities."

Projects eligible for funding include, but are not limited to, feasibility studies and technical projects such as assessing the potential of establishing an agricultural value-added business project; and marketing and promotion projects such as first-time participation in trade shows, new product launches and promotions supporting the development of new sales channels. Approximately $100,000 is available, and the maximum award per project is $20,000.

A matching contribution of cash and in-kind resources equal to at least 50 percent of the total project budget is required. Applications may be submitted at anytime as there is no deadline to apply for funds.

For an application and program guidelines, contact the Colorado Department of Agriculture Markets Division at (303) 239-4116 or visit www.coloradoagriculture.com.

More Breaking News for Producers....

Coming Soon: Agritourism and Diversification
Positioning your Business for Success Workshop Series.
The Colorado Agritourism Program is aimed at increasing the visibility of agritourism activity in Colorado, providing enterprises with the market analysis, business planning tools and networking opportunities to succeed, and encouraging community partnerships to support the further growth of the agritourism sector. These workshops will provide market overview, skill building and resource development activities to address these goals. The next workshops are March 10 in La Junta, April 21 in Delta and April 22 in Cortez. Click here for more information.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITES:

Through CSREES:

• Agricultural Prosperity for Small and Medium-sized Farms, NRI. Currently Open. Closing date June 5, 2008. The purpose of this program is to foster interdisciplinary studies to improve our understanding of the interactions between the economic and environmental components important to the long-term viability, competitiveness and efficiency of small and medium-sized farms (including social, biological and other components, if necessary). Anticipated funding $5,000,000. More information: Dr. S. Sureshwaran, Phone: 202 / 720-7536; ssureshwaran@csrees.usda.gov

• Assistive Technology Program for Farmers with Disabilities: National AgrAbility Project Deadline March 31, 2008 CSREES anticipates approximately $550,000 will be available to fund a single new National AgrAbility Project for fiscal year 2008 to increase the likelihood that farmers, ranchers, farm workers, or farm family members with disabilities and their farms experience success. Contact: Brad Rein, 202-401-5179; brein@csres.usda.gov.
  

USDA's Risk Management Agency:
Note: Closing date and time for receipt of applications for following four programs is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on March 24, 2008.

• Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program: approximately $5 million in fiscal year 2008 (subject to availability of funds) for collaborative outreach and assistance programs for limited resource, socially disadvantaged and other traditionally under-served farmers and ranchers, who produce Priority Commodities as defined within the RFA. Contact: David Wiggins: 202-690-2686; david.wiggins@rma.usda.gov

• Commodity Partnerships for Risk Management Education Program (Commodity Partnerships Program) includes approximately $3.75 million (subject to availability) for cooperative partnership agreements to deliver training and information in management of production, marketing and financial risk to U.S. agricultural producers. Priority will be given to educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage. Contact Lon Burke at 202-720-5265 or RMA.Risk-Ed@rma.usda.gov

• Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions (Commodity Partnerships for Small Session Program) includes approximately $500,000 (subject to availability) for cooperative partnerships to deliver training and information in the management of production, marketing and financial risk to U.S. agricultural producers. Priority will be given to educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage. Contact Lon Burke at 202-720-5265 or email at RMA.Risk-Ed@rma.usda.gov

• Targeted States Program: includes approximately $4.5 (subject to availability) for cooperative agreements to deliver crop insurance education and information to producers in states that have been identified as historically underserved. Contact Lon Burke at 202-720-5265 or email at RMA.Risk-Ed@rma.usda.gov
  

USDA's Rural Development Cooperative Programs:

• Small, Minority Producer grant program. Deadline: April 8, 2008 Approximately $1.463 million in competitive grant funds for fiscal year 2008 for cooperatives and associations of cooperatives to fund technical assistance to small, minority agricultural producers. The maximum award per grant is $175,000. More information: Diane Berger, (202) 690-1508.
  

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service:

• Farmers Market Promotion Program Deadline: March 24, 2008 Approximately $1 million is allocated for Fiscal Year 2008 to help improve and expand domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs and other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities. The maximum amount awarded for any one proposal cannot exceed $75,000. Entities eligible to apply include agricultural cooperatives, local governments, nonprofit corporations, public health corporations, economic development corporations, regional farmers market authorities and Tribal government. For more information: Carmen Humphrey, 202-720-8317; USDAFMPP@usda.gov
  

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service:

• USDA is offering $5 million in grants to improve participation in food stamps through partnership between a state agency and private non-profit faith-based or community organizations to help working poor and needy households better understand food stamp benefits. Deadline: May 5, 2008 Contact: Lisa Johnson: 703 - 305-2848.

Breaking News for Small Farmers...

Looking for an inexpensive way to launch a Website? Check out the following press release from SPIN Farming and Small Farm Central:


SPIN-Farming™ Teams Up with Small Farm Central

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SPIN-Farming, ( www.spinfarming.com) has teamed up with Small Farm Central (http://www.smallfarmcewntral.com/) to provide ready-to-go websites that connect farmers with customers quickly, easily and inexpensively.

"SPIN-Farming calls for cultivating customers as well as crops, and that calls for a professional-looking web site," says Wally Satzewich, the developer of the SPIN-Farming system. "But most farmers would rather deal with buggy potato plants than buggy software. Small Farm Central frees farmers to be out working their plots instead of sitting behind a computer trying to program their web sites."

The SPIN-branded web sites can include everything "soup to nuts", from photo galleries to blogs to recipes to mailing lists, but farmers can start out simply and add features as they see the need. No technical experience is necessary to run their sites on Small Farm Central.
"SPIN-Farming is helping to eliminate the traditional hardships of farming and is redefining it as an entrepreneurially-driven profession," says Roxanne Christensen, Co-author of the SPIN-Farming online learning series. "It is only natural to be working with Small Farm Central to eliminate the complexities of web site development and help farmers harness the power of technology for direct marketing. Plus, Small Farm Central is in a great position to know what is working for farmers online, and they generously offer free tips and advice at their site."
"Whether they farm in the middle of an urban jungle, on the suburban fringe, or as part of a large acreage in the country, each SPIN farmer's story is a powerful online marketing tool. We at Small Farm Central understand their stories, and help them tell it, engage with their customers, and sell more through professional, active websites that promote the farmer-eater connection," says Simon Huntley, Lead Developer of Small Farm Central.

ABOUT SPIN-FARMING
S-mall P-lot IN-tensive (SPIN) Farming is a non-technical, easy-to-understand-and inexpensive-to-implement farming system that makes it possible to generate $50,000+ in gross sales from a half-acre by growing common vegetables. It is organic-based and can be practiced on a single plot or multi-sited on several residential backyards or front lawns in urban or peri-urban areas. It is available via an online learning series at http://www.spinfarming.com/.

ABOUT SMALL FARM CENTRAL
Small Farm Central provides inexpensive, professional web services to farmers across the country. An online control panel that farmers can access at any time takes the mystery out of farm websites and makes it a breeze to sell products, publish a blog, post photos, and more. Information about the Small Farm Central SPIN web service can be found at: http://www.smallfarmcentral.com/. Contact Roxanne Christensene-mail: rchristensen@infocommercegroup.com phone: 610-505-9189

Please note: I am passing this along as an FYI. This should not be seen as an endorsement or recommendation of the product.