The Monsanto Fund is offering Farmers the opportunity to support their local schools in their communities with the America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Program.  Farmers can nominate their public school district to compete for a grant of up to $25,000.  In all, the program will allow local school districts in 1,245 counties across 39 states to add over $2.3 million to their math and science programs.

Nomination entries for this program must be received between January 6, 2012, and April 15, 2012 and can be found here. 

Farmer Eligibility – Entrants must be 21 years or older and actively engaged in farming of 250 acres of corn, soybeans and/or cotton; or 40 acres of openfield vegetables (as defined above); or 10 acres of tomatoes, peppers and/or cucumbers grown in protected culture (glasshouse, nethouse, plastic).
The program is open to all public school districts in the eligible counties within the designated 39 states. To see if your school qualifies click here. 

The Monsanto Fund will award 199 grants in 39 states. Grant applications must be submitted by the school district; individual schools may not apply. Two grant amounts will be awarded: $10,000 and $25,000. Each eligible school district will only be entitled to apply for one grant and must determine the grant amount for which it will apply.

Eligible grant requests will need to focus on increasing interest or improving instruction or learning in science and/or math. School districts must be nominated by a farmer in one of the eligible counties in order to apply for the grants. Once a school district is nominated, that district will be notified and sent an invitation code to apply for a grant at www.MonsantoFund.org.
For more details click here.

The National Gardening Association has partnered with Jamba Juice on a grant program for schools, communities and non-profit organizations to teach kids about growing their own food, nutrition and science.  Recipients will be selected based on plans to promote nutrition education, ideas for incorporating fruit and vegetable activities into the curriculum, and ability to sustain the program over multiple years.

It’s All About the Fruit and Veggies Grant program is open to schools, community organizations, and non-profit programs in the United States gardening with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18. Schools must be located within a 50 mile radius of a Jamba Juice store

Annually, the National Gardening Association’s KidsGardening.org together with Jamba will award 20 grant recipients with a check for $150 to be used to purchase soil amendments and fruit and vegetable plantings and $350 in gardening supplies including composter, planters, tools, and a curriculum guide from the Gardening with Kids Shop. The total award package is valued at over $500.

Applications are due by February 15, 2012 and decisions will be made my March of 2012.  For more information and the application click here. 

The National Gardening Association (NGA) and The Home Depot Garden Club are offering Youth Garden Grants (YGG).  Schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, and inter-generational groups throughout the United States are eligible to apply.  Gardens and programs should contain some of the following: educational focus or curricular/program integration, nutrition or plant-to-food connections, environmental awareness/education, entrepreneurship, social aspects of gardening such as leadership development, team building, community support, or service-learning.Five winners will receive gift cards valued at $1,000, and 95 winners will receive $500 gift cards, for the purchase of gardening materials and supplies specific to the needs of their program from their local Home Depot store.

Applicants must plan to garden with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18 years.


Applications must be submitted by November 28th, 2011and can be found here.  Award announcements will be made on March 1, 2012 and distributed later that month. 

Grant awardees will be required to submit a year-end impact report due in August of 2012.

Students in grades 4-12 are encouraged to capture their love of Indiana food and its farmers on paper or on video for the 2011 Ag Essay Contest titled “Our Food, Our Farmers.”

Sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers and the Indiana Humanities Council, the essay contest asks students to explain how Indiana agriculture plays a positive role in their life—and in the lives of those around them. There are two categories of competition: video essay and written essay; and three grade levels: 4-6; 7-9 and 10-12. Entries must be received by February 15, 2011.

“Indiana’s family farms, large and small, are committed to providing a safe, stable and affordable food supply that feeds a growing population,” said Indiana Agriculture Director, Joe Kelsay. “But today's farmers do more than feed and clothe us. They contribute to the economy, protect the environment and improve our health. We want to help young Hoosiers understand and appreciate this impact.”

A winner from each grade level, in each category, will receive a Flip VideoTM Camcorder and be invited to a presentation at the Indiana Statehouse on March 7, 2011. The overall winner in each category will receive an Apple iPad.

Entry guidelines can be found at http://www.foodforthoughtindiana.org/, http://www.indianafamilyoffarmers.com/ and at http://vimeo.com/groups/agweek

This contest is part of the Indiana Humanities Council’s two-year Food for Thought initiative. Food for Thought is an examination and celebration of the ways food helps to define Indiana’s culture, considering food in the context of history, law, politics, science, the arts, religion, ethnicity and our place in the world.

2011 is here and what better way to start the new year than with a new grant program.  The Indiana Family of Farmers (IFOF) wants to make learning about agriculture easier and even more interesting through a new grant program for local communities.


Grants of up to $2000 will be made available to improve educational agriculture-related events around Indiana. The funds, made possible through the IFOF Ag Resource Committee, may be used by local event organizers to increase participation in educational or outreach events focused on food and fiber, like Ag Day celebrations. Grant applicants may also request monies to make capital improvements (like buying demonstration equipment) or safety upgrades (such as purchasing hand-washing stations).

To be eligible, at least one representative of the grant-requesting organization must attend an IFOF presentation: Tips for Success: Telling the story of Agriculture Through Educational Events. These presentations take place January – April as part of the following events:
• Fort Wayne Farm Show – January 19th in Fort Wayne
• Purdue Extension’s Women in Agriculture conference – February 24th in Jeffersonville
• IN Farm Bureau’s Spring Conference – March 12th – Indianapolis
• Adobe Connect Meeting at regional sites throughout the state – Dates and locations TBA

Applications and detailed guidance may be found online Here.  The deadline to apply is June 10, 2011.

Indiana’s Family of Farmers also has a blog that is definitely worth checking out.  Their are lots of recipes, tips and insights on agriculture in the state.

Turkey thawing, bread crumbs for stuffing drying, pumpkin pie already baked and a last minute grocery list in hand, as I head out the door in preparation for Thanksgiving.  With the large task at hand of baking up a holiday feast it's easy to overlook what we are truely thankful for.  Obviously with all this talk about food, I am thankful to work in Agriculture.  I am thankful for Farmers who daily work hard to produce the food that sits on my table, and for every other person who has a hand in processing, inspecting, delivering and selling that same food.

I have some grant opportunities to share with you today, but before I do I wanted to share with you a song Bing Crosby sang in the musical "Holiday Inn."  This is a favorite musical of mine to watch around the holidays and listening to Bing sing "I've Got Plenty To Be Thankful For" with his smooth voice gives me all the more reason to be grateful and extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone in the Agriculture Industry.




Aquatic Education Programs
Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation: National Youth Fishing & Boating Initiative
The mission of the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation is to implement an informed national outreach strategy that will increase participation in recreational angling and boating. The Foundation's National Youth Fishing & Boating Initiative is offering grants to youth-focused boating, fishing, and conservation organizations for pilot-to-national or national aquatic education programs that introduce children and their families to boating and fishing. Priority is given to programs that target minorities and underserved communities. The application deadline is December 27, 2010. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the grant guidelines and submit an online application.

The John Burkhart Indiana Award for College Success. The award will provide up to $1 million to a qualified Indiana nonprofit organization working to promote postsecondary student success in Indiana. More Details.


The National Science Teachers Association and Shell Oil Company have launched a new competition for middle and high school teachers that will bring laboratory resources to school districts across the United States. Through the NSTA Shell Science Lab Challenge, schools will compete for up to $93,000 in total prizes.  More Information

I remember several teachers in my elementary school had a classroom pet.  Some had fish, some had hamsters, one even had a snake.  But I always remember being excited to see who got to feed it, what it ate, how the animal spent it's time during the day.  Having a pet in the classroom probably raised by level of interest in animals, biology, anatomy and science in general.  That all being said, I do have a grant opportunity to pass along to you to obtain funding to purchase a pet for your students classroom.


The Pet Care Trust is offering a grant in an effort to establish healthy child-pet relationships at an early age by supporting responsible pet care in grammar and middle school classrooms across the country. These grants are intended to provide a means of teaching children to bond with and care for their pets. K-6 teachers in public and private schools can apply for grants or coupons in the amounts of $50, $100, or $150 for the purchase of new pets and pet environments, as well as food and supplies for existing classroom pets. Requests may be submitted at any time and grant review committee will get back with you within 2 weeks. Visit the Pets in the Classroom website to review the funding guidelines and submit an online application.

The long hot days of summer have turned most corn fields their harvest time gold, the leaves on the trees are just starting to think about turning, the wind has a crisp cool feeling to it and school buses are rolling every morning to take kids back to school. With that all being said I have a couple of grants that related directly to youth education to pass along to you today.

The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program is funded through the USDA National Institute of Agriculture (NIFA). The SARE program works primarily through competitive grant programs administered the North Central Region which includes 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. There are currently 2 grant opportunities available focusing on Youth and Youth Education.

Youth SARE Grant- This grant is for youth, ages 8 – 18 and eligible projects include: on-farm research, demonstration, or education projects. Research and demonstration projects are for hands-on efforts to explore Sustainable Agriculture issues and practices. Education projects can involve teaching others about Sustainable Agriculture or attending a Sustainable Agriculture conference, workshop, or camp. The maximum grant award is $400 projects must be finished within one year and applications are due January 14, 2011. For more information go to http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/cfp.htm

Youth Educator SARE Grants- Grants for educators to provide programming on Sustainable Agriculture for youth with a $2,000 maximum. This grant program focuses on Sustainable Agriculture and how it relates to profitability; and the effects it has on families, communities, quality of life; and the environment long term. NCR-SARE encourages you to be creative and innovative, and to work directly with local farmers and ranchers who practice Sustainable Agriculture. Please note: 21st Century Farming does involve growing food and fiber and can include market gardens and urban agriculture. Applications are due January 14, 2011. For more information go to http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/cfp.htm

Some other grant programs that would also be of interest to schools and educators are:

National Garden Association-Youth Garden Grants Program-Home Depot and the National Gardening Association (NGA) have partnered as sponsor for the Youth Garden Grants 2011. NGA annually awards Youth Garden Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs across the United States. These gardens should ber used to instruct at least one of the following initatives; educational focus or curricular/program integration, nutrition or plant-to-food connections , environmental awareness/education, entrepreneurship , social aspects of gardening such as leadership development, team building, community support, or service-learning. Eligible applicants include Schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, and intergenerational groups throughout the United States. Applicants must plan to garden with at least 15 children between the ages of three and 18 years. Grant funds can range from $500 -$1,000 and applications are due November 1, 2010. For more information visit http://www.kidsgardening.com/YGG.asp

Target Company Field Trip Grants-Target will be awarding 5,000 grants of $700 each to schools for the upcoming school year. Teachers can use a grant to fund a school field trip that connects their curriculum to out-of-school experiences. Applications are due before September 30, 2010 and more information can be found at

"Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness." -Thomas Jefferson

One of the two main crops grown in the US is Soybeans. (For those of you not familiar with what a soybean plant looks like: they are the shorter, bushier appearing plant you’ll see this summer as you drive around the country side. As opposed to corn which grows tall and has a tassel on top.) Last year US farmers planted 77.5 million acres to soybeans. While you may think soybeans are only grown for animal feed you should know that soybeans and soy oils are daily being researched and developed into renewable alternatives for the production of energy and chemicals. Did you know soy oil is used in crayons, candles and jet fuel? The soy oil is used in place of petroleum oil which helps conserve fossil fuels. In the state of Indiana more than 28,000 farmers grow soybeans, and yet I felt the need to explain at the beginning of this blog post what a soybean looked like because there are a lot of people out there who may not know what a soybean is.

The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) offers grants to Indiana farmers who have projects that would educate and communicate a positive message about agriculture in their area. This grant would fund projects that would reach out to the non-ag community; and engage them with opportunities to learn more about farming practices. Producers could develop websites, host farm tours, food drives, school kids and more as an effort to explain their production practices and their way of life. These types of farm outreach programs are important as people understand where their food comes from and how fortunate we are to have such a safe and affordable food supply.

This ISA grant is available to organizations and individuals; applications are accepted on an on-going basis, however you need to apply at least one month prior to the projects start date. Funding will not exceed half of the estimated costs associated with the project and the application can be found at http://www.indianasoybean.com/GrantApp.pdf

This week I have two random foundations that have funding available for young people (ages 5-25) trying to address issues in their local communities that focus on environmental sustainability through a service oriented type of project. These types of foundation funding are ideal for the local 4-H, FFA and Young Farmers groups to take advantage of. The applications are relatively simple to fill out, and the funding on the two I have identified ranges from $500 to $25,000 which could address both small and large projects. Think of a project your group could do in your community and apply. It’s that simple.

Starbucks Foundation-Young Social Entrepreneurs
No due date, funds range from $10,000-25,000.
More information can be found at: http://www.starbucksfoundation.com/index.cfm?objectid=998EF1C4-1D09-317F-BBF7F71F7B681A12

Youth Service America-Global Grants Program for Young Volunteers
Due: February 22, 2010. Grants are $500 each.
More information can be found at: http://www.ysa.org/grants/announcements/get-ur-good-grants-launched

Many people who start to look for grants or financial resources tend to start with the government. And, depending on the size or the scope of your proposal that is certainly alright. But for those smaller projects, requesting smaller dollar amounts, that directly affect your surrounding area, I suggest looking at foundations as a source of funding.


Most cities and counties have community foundations with grants available to address various needs in the area. These foundations are sometimes set up with funds from local partners and contributors and want to focus their efforts on projects that will better the area. (Local resources, helping local people with local projects.) Sometimes there may be criteria for the selection of proposals in various categories such as; educating youth, beautifying the area, environmental, seed money, etc. Generally, I think you will find these applications to be easier to fill out and with shorter turnaround times on funding announcements. Try this website to help locate a foundation near you. http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/foundfinder/


Also, some larger businesses and corporations offer funding in the form of grants to groups in the areas where they have a plant or facility. Some suggestions are Pioneer http://www.pioneer.com/web/site/portal/menuitem.bb020a6d93d9d318bc0c0a03d10093a0/ or Cargill http://www.cargill.com/corporate-responsibility/charitable-giving/how-we-give/local-community-giving/index.jsp


Think about any local non-for-profit group you apart of and I bet there is some small project that you would like to get funding for. Perhaps it’s your local Fair Board wanting improved facilities, or your Young Farmers group is looking to start an educational program, or Soil and Water Conservation District looking to provide outreach on cleaning up a local waterway. It never hurts to look and see what funds are available in your area.