Applications are being accepted for the 2011 Environmental Grant Program offered by the American Water Works Company, a US water and wastewater utility company. Grants are available in American Water service areas in ten states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

This grant program offers funds for innovative, community-based environmental projects that improve, restore, or protect watersheds, surface water, and/or groundwater supplies through partnerships.  To qualify, proposed projects must address a source water or watershed protection need in the community; be a new or innovative program for the community, or serve as a significant expansion to an existing program; be carried out by a formal or informal partnership between two or more organizations; and provide evidence of sustainability (continued existence after the American Water grant monies are utilized).

Deadline for entries is March 25, 2011.  To qualify for Environmental Grant funding, a proposed project must be:Located within an American Water service area, must be completed between May 1, 2011 and November 30, 2011, and be a new or innovative community initiative, or serve as significant expansion to an existing program.
Complete program information and application requirements are available at the American Water Web site.

Today I am sharing some websites you might find useful while searching for grant funding on your own. These are great pages to bookmark and revisit on a monthly or even weekly basis to see what kinds of funding is available. As always I like to exercise a word of caution and only trust those websites that offer federal or state grants that end in .gov as there are some scams out there in the grant world so it best to be wise and use safe sites.

http://www.grants.gov/
This is a great site and offers you the ability to search by keyword or by federal agency. It also allows you to sign up to RSS feeds so you can have all the latest grant opportunities e-mail right to you.

http://www.cfda.gov/
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance is a site that offers both a broad overview of federal funding and allocations as well as offering some advanced search options for looking for particular grant topics.

You can also go directly to various Federal Agencies websites to search for grants they offer. Of course all the grants listed on individual federal agencies websites will also be listed on the website above, but sometimes additional information is listed on the agencies sites. Some of these agencies may also offer RSS feeds allowing you to sign up for e-mail grant alerts. Some federal agencies that may be of interest to Agricultural related projects are:
USDA- http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/funding.cfm  
US EPA - http://www.epa.gov/ogd/
US DOE - http://science.doe.gov/grants/index.asp
National Science Foundation - http://www.nsf.gov/funding/
US Department of Health and Human Services - http://www.hhs.gov/grants/

After you have been awarded a grant; your granting agency will requests reports from you to follow the status of your project.  These could be due monthly, quarterly or yearly.  Usually there will be a form or template that the grantor will require your reports be turned in as.  This could be as simple as a paragraph discribing your latest activities or could be in depth to show itemized spending, time sheets, and budgets.  Check with your grantor to find out exactly what is expected and make sure you are providing them all the documentation they need.


Reporting also requires keeping good files.  Make sure to keep copies of any bills or receipts.  If you are using your time as a match or in-direct cost it's good to keep track of the number of hours you put in on the project as well as any volunteer time.  It's also a good idea to keep track of important dates within your project (such as starting dates, delivery dates, etc.) so this can be compared with a timetable.

Lastly, always turn your reports in on time.  Know when they are due, what all is expected on the report and be honest with the grantor.  They will understand that things don't always go as planned and can help you make an extensions as needed.  It's important to have a good working relationship with your grantor so do your part in being organized and responsible.

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.

USDA has opened the application period for the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) which provides matching funds on a competitive basis to State Departments of Agriculture.  Projects are to assist in exploring new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products, and to encourage research and innovation aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the U.S. marketing system.

Funds can be used on applied research projects that address barriers, challenges, and opportunities in marketing, transporting, and distributing U.S. food and agricultural products domestically and internationally. 
Eligible agricultural categories include livestock, livestock products, food and feed crops, fish and shellfish, horticulture, viticulture, apiary, and forest products and processed or manufactured products derived from such commodities. Proposals that address issues of importance at the State, multi-State, or national level are appropriate. FSMIP also seeks unique proposals that reflect a collaborative approach between the States, academia, the farm sector and other appropriate entities and stakeholders.

Grants range from $25,000 to $135,000 and if you have a project that would be applicable please contact your state department of agriculture, as they can apply on your behalf.  Applications are due on February 17, 2011.  More information can be found here.