MorrisonGrants

USDA has announced the 2010 Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) Grants, which are designed to expand direct producer-to-consumer marketing opportunities (not just farmers markets, despite the program’s name).   Proposals may include projects addressing issues related to farmers markets, agritourism activities, community supported agriculture programs, roadside stands, and other direct producer-to-consumer marketing channels. 

In January, Brent and I attended two REAP workshops conducted by Phil Brown, USDA Business and Cooperative Specialist, in Oroville, California. The REAP is a program that we have successfully written for in the past, and like all grant programs, has its own nuances that any applicant needs to understand going into the application process.

We had a great time at the World Ag Expo 2010 on February 9 through 11. Thanks to those of you who stopped by our booth: we enjoyed talking with you. Congratulations to our drawing winners: Bill Brewer, a $500 gift card to Boot Barn; Annalee Locke, a Dell Netbook computer; and Thomas Burcham, a Kindle 2. Bill, Annalee, and Thomas were among many who subscribed to our new grant notification database.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it; more news from the land of the strange and bizarre!  For those of you waiting anxiously for more news on Wyoming’s pygmy rabbits . . . your wait is over, my friends.

Many of you are anxiously awaiting the upcoming announcement for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).  This program is somewhat unique in that it is tailored for for-profit organizations AND it will pay for equipment such as solar systems.  For those of you still considering whether or not to apply for the grant, there are a couple important things you should know.

The USDA has now formally announced  its Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBG).  This program is a “flow-through” program to the states.  That means that states apply to the USDA for funds and then you apply to the state.  Several states, including California, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Washington, have “jumped the gun” a bit by accepting applications in anticipation of this announcement from the USDA.

For those of you in California, CDFA announced yesterday that they will be holding classes to assist companies expand sales overseas. The six training sessions will be spread over three months beginning in March 2010. The sessions will be held in Fresno, Sacramento, and San Luis Obispo and will cover topics including “international marketing; logistics and documentation; negotiation and cultural aspects; financing; and foreign regulations.” Read the full CDFA news release.

The equation for finding the right grant is simple: be in the right place at the right time. How to get there is the difficult part and requires diligence and patience. Here are some tips:

We often get asked, “What’s the craziest grant you’ve ever seen?”  Well that’s a fine question and could easily segue into a debate on the virtues of using tax-payer money for “pork” projects.  Of course, if you are the recipient of such funds, there’s no such thing as “pork;” those other guys are just bitter they didn’t get their share.  No, this posting will not explore that debate; I fear I already have said too much on the subject.  Instead, I’ll just share some of the more weird and bizarre grants that we’ve come across. 

Grant proposals take a lot of time, but some areas put applicants at particular risk of creating significant rework or missing critical deadlines.