The USDA, through the Office of Advocacy and Outreach, is making available
4.7 million dollars as a second round of funding formerly referred to as the 2501 Program, in the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (OASDFR) Competitive Grant Program.

This grant provides funds to organizations to conduct outreach and technical assistance to encourage and assist socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to own and operate farms and ranches and to participate in agricultural programs. The OASDFR will support a wide range of outreach and assistance activities in farm management, financial management, marketing, application and bidding procedures, and other areas. The primary purpose of the OASDFR is to deliver outreach and technical assistance, to assure opportunities for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to successfully acquire, own, operate, and retain farms and ranches; and assure equitable participation in the full range of USDA programs.


The Objective of this funding is to attract local, community-based organizations and other
eligible entities who are capable of accomplishing a project that addresses all four of the
following components:
• Collect and analyze information on the number of actual and potential socially disadvantaged farmers within a defined geographic area:
• Outreach with the specific purpose of identification of root causes of failure to achieve equitable participation in USDA agricultural programs by Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers, as well as development of recommended solutions
• Development and deployment of improved approaches to outreach and technical assistance
• Collection and analysis of information on success of those approaches.

More information regarding this grant can be found at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/fundview.cfm?fonum=1113 Deadline for submitting applications is August 9, 2010