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

Earlier this week I was in a hurry to get somewhere and the escalator I was riding wasn’t moving fast enough. So, I decided to go ahead and climb the steps instead of waiting for it to move me to the top. After just a couple of steps I realized I had just stepped out of my shoe (you know the black and gray snake skin heels that I really only wear with my black and gray hounds tooth checked teacup jacket….sorry sidetrack…anyway) but I only had two more steps to the top so I kept going. Once I reached the top I turned around and watched my high heeled shoe finish riding the escalator to the top. As I swooped down to pick it up and slip it back on my foot, (so much for saving some time and climbing the escalator) I thought to myself, this must be how a modern day Cinderella would feel: still in a hurry, still loosing her slipper, but now with technology instead of a prince.


I tell you that story, to remind you when you are preparing grant applications to not wait until the last minute to send in your application. Don’t be in a rush and overlook or leave out a piece of the application. Some applications require more than just the proposal, in some case there are separate budget forms that will need filled out. Federal grant applications may also require additional forms such as lobbying, non-construction, or budget justification forms. If any of the required forms are not included in your application package the grantor will throw it out and not review it.


Also, grantors are very strict on deadlines and due dates. Some grants may call for a “Letter of Interest” prior to the full application being due. These simply give the funder an idea of how many applications they will be receiving so they can plan and prepare accordingly. But you should also note that receiving that letter by the due date could be critical to them accepting your full proposal by the application due date.


Another tip is that if you use grants.gov to submit applications, please be aware that on busier days the system can get bogged down and run slower. It may take too long for your application to upload and if you miss the cut off (time wise) you will be out of luck and they will not accept your application. It is wise to submit your application a couple of days early just in case something goes wrong. I usually suggest trying to get online and send it early in the morning or later in the evening as there are fewer users on and the system runs quicker. It will save you time and frustration to plan ahead, and not to wait till the last minute.

Being a newlywed I received wedding gifts like a pressure cooker, food mill and food processor that I wanted to get out of the box and put to good use. So one day last fall I went to a local apple orchard and bought 2 Pecks of apples to use for canning apple butter, apple sauce and apple pie filling. Now, you might be thinking, what’s a peck? Well it’s a unit of measurement equivalent to ¼ a bushel. So…. what’s a bushel, is now the question you have.

Webster’s defines bushel as;
“the volume of a cylinder 18.5 in (47 cm) in diameter and 8 in (20 cm) high.”

Regardless what you call it I came home with a couple bags of apple and started peeling, slicing and dicing and getting my apples all prepped to be canned. When I was finished I ended up with 10 pints of applesauce, 6 quarts of apple pie filling and about a dozen little jelly jars of apple butter.

Now, don’t get me started on the difference between a pint and quart.

I use this story to point out that when writing up your grant proposal you need to be sure and label each section of your write up the same as is listed in the Request for Proposals (RFQ). If, in the first section they want you to write about is called an Abstract, make sure you title the heading as Abstract. Do not call it Overview, Background, Justification, Goals, or anything else. This is the same with every other topic area they want you to write on. If they ask for the sections in an certain order: Abstract, Outcomes, Timelines, Budget, and Conclusion; then make sure your proposal is set in the same manner, same flow, same heading, same verbiage.

Why is this important? Chances are the person reviewing your grant has a score sheet and there is a certain number of points set aside for each section. Chances are they are going to read your abstract and score your abstract before moving on to the next section. Chances are they are reading a lot of applications and are in a repetitive flow of reading and scoring and moving on. If they can’t find the next section to score, or are confused as to what exact section your write up relates to, they may score you low or not score you at all. Don’t take that chance. The grantor takes the time to write up the RFQ, you as an applicant should take the time to follow the outline they put in place. Use the same titles, same order and give your application every chance it has to be successful.

Growing up in rural Indiana I noticed people talked about the weather a lot. Did it rain, or not, and how much. One farmer might have gotten half an inch while another got seven tenths. And, depending on how dry it had been; lead to how much boasting the farmer who got a little bit more rain would become. And, obviously when your crops are dependent on the weather to grow and you are dependent on your crops for an income, then yes; the weather is an important aspect of daily conversation.

So one time this past summer my husband came inside from checking the rain gauge and seemed a bit puzzled because although he knew it had rained, there wasn’t any water in his gauge. My response back to him was, “Well it rained enough to lay the dust.” Disappointedly he said, “yes, but no one knows how much that is.” I smiled thinking of the many farmers back home who would have gladly accepted this answer and said, “The people who need to know…..would know.”

I tell you this quaint story of assumptions so that when you sit down to write a grant application you will do the exact opposite. I am sure that there are acronyms, slang and jargon that you use to call the processes or tools you work with daily. And while you and others in your industry or area of expertise may know exactly what you are referring to, a person reviewing your grant may not. Not always are grant review panels experts in the subject matter they review. Therefore, you need to make certain when putting together your grant narratives/summaries that you call items by the proper name and in some cases explain or go into more detail. This will ensure that the grant reviewer will understand what you are talking about and can fairly score your application.

For some reason the past week or two I have been using the phrase; “a mixed bag of goods” a lot. Whether that’s the randomness of projects I’ve been working on, or the lack of consistency between what I expect and what I get; regardless, that phrase seems to express where I’m at. Now I’ll be the first to admit I enjoying flowering my speech with quaint phrases (I like to call “Hoosierisms”) such as; “Between you, me and fence post” this weeks blog post is “a mixed bag of goods”.

To start off with there are two foundation opportunities that would be ideal for those groups looking to do small projects around their community. The first is a Constellation Energy’s EcoStar Grant due March 16th to non-profits looking to do projects that focus on Recycling projects, tree plantings, educational type of events for environmental stewardship, projects that support energy conservation measures, wetland restoration, community gardens and urban forests. Awarded funds are up to $5,000 and applications can be found at http://www.constellation.com/portal/site/constellation/menuitem.999b6fed85785a2399084010016176a0
The second is the Heineman Foundation which provides seed money to start projects for environmental research that will help prevent, reduce and/or eliminate water degradation. Projects can last for 3-5 years and average awards are $20,000-50,000. More information can be found at: http://www.heinemanfoundation.org/application_process/guidelines/

Next, I wanted to pass along a scholarship opportunity for members of Farm Credit Services serving Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee. Thirty-six scholarships ranging from $1,000-1,500 will be awarded to college students enrolled in agriculture programs. Applications can be found at www.e-farmcredit.com under the link Community Support.

Lastly, I wanted to “put a bug in your ear” about USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Grant. Applications may be submitted by a collaborative state, tribal, local, or regionally-based network or partnership of public or private entities. These collaborations may include the following entities: State cooperative extension services; Federal, State, or tribal agencies; community based organizations and nongovernmental organizations; junior and four-year colleges or universities or foundations maintained by a college or university; private for-profit organizations; and other appropriate partners. This is a competitive grants program for the purpose of providing education, outreach, training and technical assistance to benefit beginning farmers and ranchers in the United States. Applications are due April 6, 2010 and there is a 25% matching requirement. More information can be found at http://ww.nifa.usda.gov/funding/rfas/bfrdp.html

Now, “don’t be slower than molasses in January.” Check out these opportunities and plan to turn in your application soon.

Last week I announced the opening of the Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) but this week I again wanted to spend some time talking about various projects and ideas that could be applicable for funding. Since one of the biggest criteria for the grant is the Specialty Crop itself those crops that qualify are: Algae, Chickpeas, Christmas trees, Cocoa, Coffee, Cut flowers, Dry edible beans, Dry peas, Foliage, Fruit grapes for wine, Garlic, Ginger root, Ginseng, Herbs, Honey, Hops, Kava, Lavender, Lentils, Maple syrup, Mushrooms, Organic fruits and vegetables, Peppermint, Potatoes, Seaweed, Spearmint, Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Vegetable seeds, Commonly recognized fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops (including floriculture).

If you grow any of these crops perhaps you could consider partnering with others who do the same and develop some ways to work together to market, advertise and promote your crop. Perhaps you could work together to find more efficient ways to distribute your crop. Perhaps, you could partner with a university and offer to let them do research on your crop or production practices or even some sort of nutritional study. Perhaps there is some new technology or equipment that would enhance food safety or disease control or longevity of the product.

Also, consider the trends of more people wanting to buy fresh, locally grown produce or organic produce and determine if there is a way to draw more consumer awareness to your product. Also, think of Agri-tourism and the interest of consumers to stop and cut a Christmas tree, pick apples, sample wine or attend an event.

Grants can range from $2,000-$30,000 so you can think big or think small. The application is somewhat simple to fill out and just asks for a narrative about your goals, expected outcomes and be able to justify your expenses. I would strongly encourage you to take advantage of this unique funding opportunity. Look for other organizations, producers or academia to partner with. You have a good 4 months until the application is due so that leaves plenty of time for brainstorming. Remember to check out ISDA’s website http://www.in.gov/isda/2522.htm for the SCBG program guidance, application and score sheet. And as always if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment as your thoughts may spur others on as well.

After months of anticipation and planning the big day has finally arrived!!! That’s right. USDA has announced and opened the application period for the next round of the Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) Program. Each State Department of Agriculture is eligible to receive an allocation of the $55 million set aside under Section 10109 of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. Allocations are determined by the amount of Specialty Crop Production that occurs in the state. Departments of Agriculture are the only applicants but they are strongly encouraged to involve industry groups, academia, and community-based organizations in the development of applications that “solely” enhance the Specialty Crop Industry.

The State of Indiana will have $397,831.21 available for projects enhancing the competitiveness of specialty crops through the following issues affecting the specialty crop industry: increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops; improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution systems; assisting all entities in the specialty crop distribution chain in developing “Good Agricultural Practices:, “Good Handling Practices”, “Good Manufacturing Practices”, investing in specialty crop research, including organic research to focus on conservation and environmental outcomes; enhancing food safety; developing new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops; pest and disease control; and sustainability. Other options are market promotion; for domestic or international promotion of qualified Indiana food and agricultural products, or distribution to mitigate trade barriers that prevent or slow entry of qualified Indiana food and agricultural products into foreign markets.

ISDA would like to encourage all Specialty Crop organizations and partners to consider applying for funding this year. The applications are due June 25th, 2010 and are considered relatively easy to fill out. Check out ISDA’s website for the SCBG program guidance, application and score sheet. http://www.in.gov/isda/2522.htm