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| Southern SAWG Newsletter,
Volume 5, #4 | April 2009 |
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| Dear
Friends, An organic garden at the White House... A sustainable and organic agriculture advocate in the top echelons of the USDA... It just goes to show how quickly things can change for the better. We salute First Lady Michelle Obama for her highly visible promotion of fresh, local, sustainable food in establishing the garden on the South Lawn. And we welcome Kathleen Merrigan, one of the developers of the National Organic Program, and director of the Agriculture, Food and Environment Graduate Program at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, to her appointment as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, the number two post in the United States Department of Agriculture. Just last month we featured the new Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, as he addressed the Federation of Southern Cooperatives promising progressive change. President Obama’s and Vilsack’s choice of Merrigan, and her subsequent confirmation, helps put this commitment on solid sustainable ground. In this issue, we have more good news. Southern SAWG is pleased to announce continuing support from the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE) for our work, and we invite you to learn about several funding opportunities for farmers and educators. And so we head into a busy month of growing and grant writing, encouraged by the words of Michelle Obama: “A real delicious heirloom tomato is one of the sweetest things that you’ll ever eat.” --Your friends at Southern SAWG |
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Farmers’ Market Promotion Program (FMPP) Deadline is April 27, 2009 The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) was created through a recent amendment of the Farmer-to-Consumer 
Direct Marketing Act of 1976. The
grants are targeted to help improve and expand domestic farmers’
markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs,
agri-tourism activities, and other direct producer-to-consumer market
opportunities. Eligible
applicants include agricultural cooperatives,
producer networks, producer associations, local governments, nonprofit
corporations, public benefit corporations, economic development
corporations, regional farmers’ market authorities and Tribal
governments.
To learn more and apply, view the 2009 Farmers Market Promotion Program
Guidelines.Three USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Programs Farmers interested in being considered for funding should file applications before May 9, 2009. The three programs are: the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP); the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP), and the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP). The FRPP helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture. It provides matching funds to state, tribal, or local governments and non-governmental organizations with existing farm and ranch land protection programs to purchase conservation easements for the purpose of protecting the agricultural use and limiting non-agricultural uses of the land. GRP is a voluntary program for landowners and operators to protect, restore, and enhance grassland, including rangeland, pastureland, scrubland, and certain other lands. The 2008 Farm Bill increases the acreage that may be enrolled in the program and provides priority for enrollment of expiring acreage from the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The definition of eligible land has been expanded to include land that contains historical or archeological resources and land that addresses state, regional, or national conservation priorities. NRCS administers the program jointly with the Farm Service Agency (FSA). HFRP is a program established to restore and enhance forest ecosystems to promote the recovery of threatened and endangered species; improve biodiversity; and enhance carbon sequestration. "Safe Harbor" provisions of the Endangered Species Act will be available to landowners enrolled in the HFRP who agree, for a specified period, to restore or improve their land for threatened or endangered species habitat. In exchange, they avoid future regulatory restrictions on the use of that land. Complete information on these and other conservation programs can be found at http://www.usda.gov/farmbill or the NRCS website. Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Deadline is May 13, 2009 The USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) has announced the availability of funds and requests applications for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) for fiscal year (FY) 2009. The BFRDP provides resources to support the development of education, outreach, curricula, workshops, educational teams, training, and technical assistance programs to assist beginning farmers and ranchers in the United States and its territories in entering, establishing, building, and managing successful farm and ranch enterprises. This program will also provide a cooperative agreement to an online electronic and library clearinghouse to provide associated support. Proposals may request up to $250,000 to $300,000 per year. Proposals are due May 13, 2009. For more information and to apply see the Request for Applications. |
Southern SAWG has received a grant from the Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Professional Development Program to train agricultural professionals in organic horticultural production. Southern SAWG and partners will utilize a total of $62,915 in SARE funds to carry out a two year project (April 2009-March 2011) entitled Developing Successful Organic Horticulture Farms: Practical Training for Agricultural Professionals. The objective of this training is to enhance the capacity of Extension, Natural Resources Conservations Service (NRCS), and Farm Service Agency (FSA) personnel to provide effective technical assistance to current and aspiring organic farmers.
Featuring forty farms this year, including nine new farms! Connect with the land and the people who grow your food. Pet goats, cows, and horses, ride a Mulch Mobile, watch bees in their hives, see how fuel is “grown” for cars, and learn how cheese is made. Talk to farmers about pest control and organic growing techniques. Buy starters for the garden and revel in beautiful flowers of professional growers. New this year . . . a fresh water shrimp farm. Co-sponsored by the Weaver Street Market. To learn more about this popular event visit the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association website. The Hub City Farmers’ Market (formerly Spartanburg Nutrition Council) is a non-profit organization that works to increase the demand and availability of healthy foods in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, and serves as a resource for all things related to fresh produce. The HCFM’s program of work consists of operating multiple weekly open air farmers’ markets, vegetable gardening, assisting small and medium farms, promoting/enabling food assistance programs, and more. The deadline to apply is April 13. For more information...
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Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Inc. (Southern SAWG) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1991 to promote sustainable agriculture in the Southern United States. |
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