The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) encourages specialty crop-related entities and farmers’ markets throughout the state to take advantage of federal funds aimed at supporting their efforts and organizations in 2012 and 2013.


Funding requests under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) are available in the range of $2,000 - $50,000 for activities and practices affecting the specialty crop industry including:
• increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption
• improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution systems
• helping entities establish good agricultural, handling and manufacturing practices
• investing in research such as enhancing food safety, developing new and improved seed varieties & specialty crops, pest and disease control and sustainability
• market promotion of qualified Indiana food & agricultural products

Applications must be submitted via email to ISDA by June 1st, 2012. Commissions, public entities, associations, and/or nonprofit organizations that represent specialty crops as defined by USDA in Indiana agriculture are eligible to apply.

Funding requests under the Farmers’ Market Cost-Share Reimbursement Program are available for up to $500 per organization for advertising, displays and promotional materials used to increase consumer awareness and overall appeal of Indiana farmers’ markets and enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Farmers’ Market Directors or Market Masters with an established Farmers’ Market listed on ISDA’s website are eligible to apply. Funds will be paid to qualifying entities on a first come-first served basis.

Applications for both programs can be found on the ISDA Web site under Grants and Funding Opportunities.

Are you a producer who sells produce at a Farmers' Market? Then you should get your Market Master to sign up for ISDA's Farmers' Market Cost Share Program. This program will reimburse your market 50% of the cost of advertising and promotional expenses up to $500.

To qualify for this funding your market needs to be listed in ISDA's Online AgriTourism & Farmers' Market Directory and any icons or images in your promotional and advertising pieces must be of specialty crops (i.e. fruits and vegetables) Simply fill out the application, and send ISDA copy's of your receipts along with examples of what your marketing items are (brochures, magnets, signs, etc.).

Funds for this program are provided through a previous years USDA's Specialty Crop Block Grant which is to be used to solely enhance the competitiveness of Specialty Crops.  Applications are funded on a first come first served basis, so please apply soon!

Just today, USDA announced the recipients of their 2010 Farmers’ Market Promotion Program (FMPP) which awarded over $4 Million to Farmer’s Markets and Non-for-Profit organizations around the US. To view the complete list of winner click here. FMPP was created to help improve and expand domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agri-tourism activities, and other direct producer-to-consumer marketing opportunities.


Indiana had two recipients.

The Indiana Cooperative Development Center will be receiving $53,160 to 1) organize and establish an Indiana Direct-to-Consumer Market Association and 3 direct marketing retreats, 2) develop a logo, brochure, and marketing materials, and 3) conduct a young farmer training program.

Orange County HomeGrown, Paoli, IN, will be receiving $59, 862 to 1) expand customer base though promotion and use of EBT, 2) provide training and services to market vendors, 3) promote public awareness of nutritional value of locally grown produce in an 8-county region of Indiana, 4) build partnerships to ensure sustainability of 2 existing farmers markets, and 5) create a third market within an underserved community.

Congratulations to both of these organizations!

Don’t forget there is still time to sign up for The Ag. Grant Guru’s 1 Year Anniversary Give-a-way!! (Contest ends at noon on 10/15/10.)
Click here for your chance to win!!!!!!

ISDA offers the Farmers' Market Cost Share Program to help markets offset their costs with advertising and promotion.  This year ISDA awarded $10,000 to 21 different markets around the state.  Those awarded markets include: Monroe County Growers Association, Bloomington Community Farmers' Market, Shelby County Farmers' Market, South Milford Farmers' Market, Richmond Farmers' Market, Bloomington Winter Farmers' Market, Harrision County Farmers Market, Avon Farmers' Market, Community Farmers Market of Owen County, Scott County Farmers' Market, South Side Farmers Market (Allen County), Highland Street Market, Historic Lafayette Farmers' Market, Farmers' Market at Minnetrista, Orange County HomeGrown Farmers' Market, Carmel Farmers Market, Fulton County Farmers' Market,
Vincennes Historic Farmers' Market, Valparaiso Farmers' Market, and the Binford Farmers Market

For more information on Going Local Week be sure to check out the Going Local Blog

One of the things I enjoy about this time of year is going to local Farmers’ Markets. I enjoy seeing all the fresh produce and the farmers that grow it. Whatever I don’t grow in my own garden I try to pick up at the local Farmers’ Market. If you are searching for a Farmers’ Market in your area you should check out ISDA’s On-line Agritourism Directory. This directory lists local wineries and u-pick stands along with Farmers’ Markets by.

That all being said I wanted to remind everyone that ISDA has two grant programs available that can directly assist Farmers’ Markets and Producers of Specialty Crops.

The Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) awards funds to organizations that will “solely” enhance the Specialty Crop Industry. Applications are due June 25th, 2010. For more information and details regarding this program please check out one of my previous posts about the SCBG

Secondly, ISDA offers the Farmers’ Market Cost Share Program. This program reimburses Farmers Markets for the cost of their advertising and promotional expenses up to $500.  This program runs through August 31st, 2010, however, funds are awarded on a first come first serve basis. More information and details regarding this program can be found in a previous blog post about the Farmers' Market Cost Share Program.

You can also check out ISDA's grant website for applicaitons for both of these programs plus a list of other various agriculture grants. 

I don’t know about you, but I like to shop. I like looking around in a store and seeing everything it has to offer. I like the feeling of finding something you can’t live without, buying it and taking it home. But what I really love… is a good bargain. And have I got a deal for you this week?!?! Not one, but two (yes two) grants that are available for Farmers’ Markets.

The first grant is a federal grant through USDA called the Farmers’ Market Promotion Program. Farmers’ Markets can apply directly to USDA to receive this funding. While the second program is the ISDA Farmers’ Market Cost Share Program. Farmers’ Markets can apply to ISDA to receive a reimbursement for their advertising and promotional expenses. Both of these grants (one federal and one state) are great opportunities for Farmers’ Markets to take advantage of and possibly the only grant opportunities they may have this year.

USDA-Farmers’ Market Promotion Program
Farmers’ Markets are eligible to apply for funding to promote the domestic consumption of agricultural commodities by expanding direct producer-to-consumer marketing opportunities. Direct producer-to-consumer marketing proposals that may be funded include projects addressing issues related to farmers markets, roadside stands, community supported agriculture programs, agritourism activities, and other direct producer-to-consumer marketing channels. The minimum award per grant is $2,500 and the maximum is $100,000. Applications are due April 15th, 2010 and more information can be found at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/FMPP

ISDA-Farmers’ Market Cost Share Program
ISDA has $10,000 available through a previous Specialty Crop Block grant to reimburse Farmers’ Markets in the state of Indiana for advertising. This program will reimburse 50 percent of the cost of advertising, displays and promotional materials farmers’ markets pay for these items up to $500. Markets can receive reimbursement for expenditures made 11/1/09-8/31/10 as long as they have receipts available. Applications are due before August 31, 2010 (please note funds are awarded on a first come first serve basis). More information can be found on ISDA’s website at http://www.in.gov/isda/2522.htm