Resource Room
Land Jobs Stuff
To see listings and opportunities for available farmland, farm jobs, used farm equipment, and more, please visit ”Land Jobs Stuff“ bulletin board. Please do not hesitate to contact the Farms Forever Coordinator Katie Cavanagh with any inquiries. She can be reached at (774) 240-7004 or by email at: kcavanagh@semaponline.org. If she is unavailable, please feel free to leave a message and she will return your call as soon as possible.
Introduction to Grants and Grantwriting
Philip Burt & Michael Maguire of the Barnstable county Resource Development Office presented an excellent overview of the grantwriting process. Their presentation slides are available here (PDF).
Descriptions of Grant Programs
Click on the links below for brief descriptions of and contact information for each grant program described in the workshop.
MDAR (Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources) Grant Programs
• MA Farm Viability Enhancement Program (FVEP)
• Agricultural Environmental Enhancement Program (AEEP)
• Federal State Market Improvement Program (FSMIP)
• Farm Energy Discount Program
• Massachusetts Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Grant Programs
• Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG)
• Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP)
• Environmental Quality Improvement Program
SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) Grant Programs
MDAR (Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources) Grant Programs
Presented by Craig Richov, MA DAR Regional Planner, (617) 626-1725, Craig.Richov@state.ma.us
MA Farm Viability Enhancement Program (FVEP)
Description: A business planning and technical assistance program that provides grants to farmers who make a commitment to keep their farmland in agricultural use. The program’s goals are to improve farms’ economic viability, increase environmental integrity, and keep land in farming by making it profitable. Recipient farms first undergo a business assessment, and a business plan is generated. If the farmer is willing to implement the changes recommended in the business plan and to sign a non-development covenant for a period of five or ten years, the Department may make money available to implement the changes recommended in the business plan.
Grant Amount: Up to $20,000 for 5-year covenant, up to $40,000 for 10-year covenant.
Dates: Applications expected to be available in April 2008. See contact information below.
Eligibility: Minimum 5 acres in agricultural use, minimum 3 years as commercial enterprise. For cranberry farms a minimum of 3 acres of bog must be in production and a ratio of wetland to non-wetland must be met.
Criteria for Selection: Degree of threat, number of acres to be protected, significance of production, experience of operators, identification of viability strategies to address problems, presence of direct marketing or value-added activities, suitability and productivity of the farmland.
For More Information:www.mass.gov/agr, Craig Richov at (617) 626-1725 or Craig.Richov@state.ma.us, or Deb Mayo at (617) 626-1723.
Agricultural Environmental Enhancement Program (AEEP)
Description: To help Massachusetts agricultural operations address any potential impacts on natural resources. While primarily a water quality program, AEEP will also fund practices that promote energy efficiency, conserve water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Grant Amount: Participants are reimbursed for approved costs of materials up to $25,000.
Deadline: Applications are expected to be available in April 2007 for fiscal year 2008 projects and will be accepted on a rolling basis into the fall. See contact information below.
Eligibility: Applicant must be a recognized Agricultural Operation and meet minimum size requirements (5 contiguous acres in production or 3 acres in bog production or 5,000 square feet in greenhouse production). Water conservation and water quality proposals must have proof of a current NRCS conservation plan. Shellfish operations must possess a current shellfish aquaculture license.
Examples of Eligible Projects (but not limited to):
• Pesticide mixing/storage facilities
• Fencing
• Manure storage facilities
• Drip irrigation
• Water reuse projects
• Energy audits
• Agriculturally generated biomass energy
• Solar energy
• Fuel storage containment
Criteria for Selection:
• Presence of a direct threat to sensitive resources
• Clarity of proposal (particularly budget and construction timeline)
• Ability to complete project within program timeframe
• Extent to which project is part of a NRCS EQIP contract
• Operation’s participation in the Farm (or cranberry) Viability Enhancement Program or APR Program.
For More Information: www.mass.gov/agr/programs/aeep, Gerard Kennedy at (617) 626-1773 or gerard.kennedy@state.ma.us
Federal State Market Improvement Program (FSMIP)
Description: Provides funds to organizations (not individuals) for market development, market research and marketing education projects. A USDA grant program administered by the state departments of agriculture.
Deadline: January 31, 2007 at the Department of Agricultural Resources.
Eligibility: Applicant must be an organization. Proposals may involve small, medium or large scale agricultural entities but should potentially benefit multiple producers or agribusinesses. Proprietary proposals that benefit one business or individual will not be considered. 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. Reflecting the growing diversity of U.S. agriculture, in recent years, FSMIP has funded projects dealing with nutraceuticals, bioenergy, compost, and products made from agricultural residues.
For More Information: Mary Jordan at (617) 626-1750 or Mary.Jordan@state.ma.us, www.ams.usda.gov/tmd/fsmip.htm
Farm Energy Discount Program
Description: DAR certifies farm eligibility for a 10% discount on electricity or natural gas rates.
Deadline: Applications are accepted throughout the year and are available at the website below. To maintain the discount, applicants must submit a yearly renewal application.
Eligibility: Approved MA farms with fewer than 75 employees.
For More Information: www.mass.gov/agr/admin/farmenergy.htm, Kent Lage at (617) 626-1702 or Kent.Lage@state.ma.us
Massachusetts Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
Description: The program provides women and children in the Federal Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and low income elders, with coupons redeemable at farmers’ markets for fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Local farmers are reimbursed for the face value of the coupons, thereby enhancing earnings and supporting participation in farmers’ markets.
Deadline: Spring 2007. See contact information below.
Eligibility: Any farmer participating at an approved farmers market may request certification to participate in the program.
Criteria for Involvement: Certification requires a discussion of the regulations for the program and procedures for receiving payment for redeemed coupons. The DAR contracts with the Federation of Massachusetts Farmers’ Markets to process coupons for farmer reimbursement.
For More Information: David Webber at (617) 626-1754 or David.Webber@state.ma.us, www.mass.gov/agr/markets/farmersmarkets/coupons.htm
USDA Grant Programs
Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG)
Presented by Anne Correia, USDA Rural Development Area Loan Specialist, (508) 295-5151 x3
Description: The program’s goal is to provide grant funds to agricultural producers for planning activities and/or working capital expenses to increase customer base, profitability, and the viability of small farms and ranches in rural areas.
Grant Amount: See downloadable document below for past award information.
Deadline: Spring 2008. See contact information below.
Eligibility: Applicant must be independent producer (for-profit or non-profit), farmer or rancher cooperative, agricultural producer group, or majority controlled producer-based business venture. Applicant must match 50% of project expenses (cash or in-kind).
Examples of Eligible Projects (but not limited to):
• Product change in physical state (ex: wine, salsa)
• Differentiated production or marketing (ex: organic lettuce)
• Product segregation (ex: identity preserved commodities such as corn)
• Economic benefit realized from farm based renewable energy (ex: on-farm wind energy and electricity produced from anaerobic digester)
For More Information: Anne Correia at (508) 295-5151 x3, www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm, or Richard Burke at (413) 253-4319 or dick.burke@ma.usda.gov
Downloads:
Anne Correia’s workshop presentation (PDF)
List of 2005 grant recipients, award amounts and project descriptions (PDF)
Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP)
Description: The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program is a voluntary program that encourages creation of high quality wildlife habitats that support wildlife populations of National, State, Tribal, and local significance. Through WHIP, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial assistance to landowners and others to develop upland, wetland, riparian, and aquatic habitat areas on their property.
Deadline: Ongoing.
Criteria for Involvement: Participants voluntarily limit future use of the land for a period of time, but retain private ownership. NRCS works with the participant to develop a wildlife habitat development which becomes the basis of the cost-share agreement between NRCS and the participant. NRCS provides cost-share payments to landowners under these agreements for 5 to 10 years, depending upon the practices to be installed.
For More Information: Don Liptack, USDA District Conservationist, NRCS at (508) 771-6476 or donald.liptack@ma.usda.gov, or www.nrcs.usda.gov/PROGRAMS/whip
Environmental Quality Improvement Program (EQIP)
Description: EQIP provides a voluntary conservation program for farmers and ranchers that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality. EQIP offers financial and technical help to assist eligible participants install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land. EQIP offers contracts with a minimum term that ends one year after the implementation of the last scheduled practices and a maximum term of ten years. These contracts provide incentive payments and cost-shares to implement conservation practices. The practices are subject to NRCS technical standards adapted for local conditions, and the local conservation district approves the plan.
Grant Amount: EQIP may cost-share up to 75 percent of the costs of certain conservation practices. Incentive payments may be provided for up to three years to encourage producers to carry out management practices they may not otherwise use without the incentive. However, limited resource producers and beginning farmers and ranchers may be eligible for cost-shares up to 90 percent. Farmers and ranchers may elect to use a certified third-party provider for technical assistance. An individual or entity may not receive, directly or indirectly, cost-share or incentive payments that, in the aggregate, exceed $450,000 for all EQIP contracts entered during the term of the Farm Bill.
Deadline: See contact information below.
Eligibility:Operators engaged in livestock or agricultural production on eligible land may participate in the EQIP program. See the brochure (link below) for a list of approved conservation practices.
For More Information: Don Liptack, USDA District Conservationist, NRCS at (508) 771-6476 or donald.liptack@ma.usda.gov, or www.nrcs.usda.gov/PROGRAMS/eqip
Downloads: EQIP Massachusetts brochure (PDF)
