USDA is offering the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) as a grant program to fund specialty crop industry issues through research and extension activities. Projects must address at least one of five focus areas: research in plant breeding, genetics, and genomics to improve crop characteristics; efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, including threats to specialty crop pollinators; efforts to improve production efficiency, productivity, and profitability over the long term; new innovations and technology, including improved mechanization and technologies that delay or inhibit ripening; and methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production and processing of specialty crops.

Elligible applicants include: national laboratories, colleges and universities, research institutions and organizations, private organizations or corporations, State agricultural experiment stations, Cooperative Extension Services, individuals, or groups consisting of two or more of these entities.

Applications are due: January 31, 2012, but a letter of intent is requestd by November 25, 2011.  For more detailed information please visit: http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/rfas/specialty_crop.html 

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.

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) is offering USDA's National Organic Certification Cost Share Program to Hoosier Organic Producers.  Any organic producer is the state of Indiana who has been certified through a qualifying agency is eligible to receive funding through this program.   


Producers may be reimbursed for their certification or recertification expenses between October 1, 2009 and September 30, 2011. Producers can receive up to 75 percent of their organic certification costs, not to exceed $750. Applications can be found on ISDA's website. Producers will need to provide a copy of their certifiers paid receipt or a copy of the certifiers invoice and some sort of proof-of-payment (canceled check or bank statement) along with the Organic Cost Share Program application form and a new vendor form.  Applications and the necessary documentation need to be submitted to ISDA by November 1, 2011.

USDA has set aside $5 million dollars for the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP).  This program is intended to develop connections between two or more sectors of the food system; Support the development of entrepreneurial projects; Develop innovative connections between the for-profit and nonprofit food sectors; or Encourage long-term planning activities, and multi-system, interagency approaches with collaborations from multiple stakeholders that build the long-term capacity of communities to address the food and agricultural problems of the communities, such as food policy councils and food planning associations.

Some examples of Community Food projects include, but are not limited to, community gardens with market stands, value chain projects, food hubs, farmers’ markets, farm-to-institutions projects, and marketing & consumer cooperatives. All projects must involve low-income participants, and should address the following issues; Meet the food needs of low-income individuals; Increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for the food needs of the communities; Promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues; and Meet specific state, local or neighborhood food and agricultural needs. 

In FY 2012 CFPCGP intends to solicit applications and fund three types of grants. The types are entitled (1) Community Food Projects (CFP), (2) Planning Projects (PP) and Training and Capacity Building (TCB) Projects.

Applications are due November 17th, 2011 and more information regarding this program can be found here.  Please note USDA is offering a pre-application submission webinar to discuss the matching requirement and what costs are allowable on the project on October 27, 2011 between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm Eastern Time. The webinar will be recorded and posted on the NIFA internet site for future reference.

I have two funding opportunites to pass along to you today for your community and local school.

The Monsanto Fund is launching their America’s Farmers Grow Communities program in which farmers may select their favorite non-profit organization to receive $2,500 within their county. Counties are chosen to participate in the basis of at least 30,000 acres of corn, soybeans or cotton. The grants are randomly selected per county and the program will run from August 1 through November 30, 2011. The process is very simple where farmers spend 2-3 minutes on growcommunities.com website and enter their name and preferred organization. No purchase is required and it’s simply a way for them to give back to local communities. A random drawing of one registered farmer from each county will result in $2,500 going to that farmer’s designated organization. 


Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Grant Program will be accepting online applications for school garden grants! In partnership with FoodCorps, Whole Kids Foundation will grant 1000 schools $2000 each to build or expand their school garden.  School gardens are a vital educational tool. Every seed planted sprouts a new opportunity for kids to cultivate healthy eating habits. Teaching kids to garden helps them learn about complex topics like sustainability and conservation, food systems and community awareness. Not to mention an appreciation for food from seed to plate  Applications can be found on Whole Kids Foundation Website and are due December 31, 2011.

USDA has announced that they are accepting applications through the Value Added Producer Grant Program.  These grants provide economic assistance to independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives and agricultural producer groups.  Grant funds may be used for feasibility studies or business plans, working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy projects.  Value-added products are created when a producer increases the consumer value of an agricultural commodity in the production or processing stage.


Application deadline is August 29, 2011. For more information click here. 

Summer is here and many Farmers' Markets are in full swing selling fresh, local produce to area residents on a weekly basis.  Besides ISDA's Farmers' Market Cost Share Program, there is another funding source out there for Farmers' Markets to apply to for funding.

USDA is once again offering the Farmers' Market Promotion Program Grant for 2011 and allocated $10 million to be awarded through grants for this program.  Funding is to be used to increase domestic consumption of agricultural commodities by improving and expanding, or assisting in the improvement and expansion of domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agri-tourism activities and other direct producer-to consumer market opportunities; and to develop, or aid in the development of new farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agri-tourism activities, and other direct producer-to-consumer marketing opportunities

Eligible applicants include: Agricultural Cooperatives, Producer Network, Producer Associations, Local Government, Nonprofit Corporation, Public Benefit Corporation, .Economic Development Corporation, or a Regional Farmers Market Authority.

Award amounts can range from $5,000 to $100,000.  Applications are due July 1, 2011.  And more information can be found Here.