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USDA promotes training for next generation of farmers/ranchersAwards granted to 40 organizations.
October 18, 2010
3 Min Read
The USDA has awarded grants to 40 organizations throughout the country to provide training and assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers that will help them run successful and sustainable farms.
"Beginning farmers and ranchers face unique challenges, and these efforts will help provide the training needed to ensure these producers become profitable and sustainable," said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. "As the average age of farmers today is 57 and continues to rise, we must do everything we can to recruit a new generation of people to produce our food. They will continue to play an important part of American agriculture as they feed people in their local communities and, in some cases, throughout the world."
USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grants through its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). BFRDP is an education, training, technical assistance and outreach program designed to help U.S. farmers and ranchers, specifically those who have been farming or ranching for 10 years or fewer. Under the program, which was established through the 2008 farm bill, NIFA will make grants to organizations that will implement programs to help beginning farmers and ranchers.
BFRDP provided $18 million in funding this year. This is the second year of the program, and $18 million will be made available in fiscal years 2011 and 2012. In fiscal year 2009, BFRDP made 29 awards for approximately $17 million.
For more information on the BFRDP program, visit program.
Recipients of the fiscal year 2010 awards include:
Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala., $675,750
University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, $411,256
Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation, Brinkley, Ark., $355,412
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark., $746,130
Tohono O'odham Community Action, Sells, Ariz., $747,200
Northern California Regional Land Trust, Inc., Chico, Calif., $49,605
Colorado Cattlemen's Association, Arvada, Colo., $30,000
First Nations Development Institute, Longmont, Colo., $252,535
Florida West Coast RC&D Council, Inc., Ellenton, Fla., $150,370
Earth Learning, Inc., Miami, Fla., $750,000
Mountain States Group, Inc., Boise, Idaho, $359,526
Practical Farmers of Iowa, Ames, Iowa, $560,998
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, Overland Park, Kan., $379,125
Tufts University, Boston, Mass., $749,014
Nuestras Raices, Inc., Holyoke, Mass., $740,131
Michigan State University, Lansing, Mich., $138,524
Communicating for America, Fergus Falls, Minn., $91,534
Land Stewardship Project, Minneapolis, Minn., $583,472
Winston County Self Help Cooperative, Louisville, Miss., $317,466
National Center for Appropriate Technology, Butte, Mont., $749,149
Land for Good, Keene, N.H., $547,307
Center for Rural Affairs, Lyons, Neb., $715,198
Groundswell Center for Food and Farming, Ithaca, N.Y., $349,873
Just Foods, Inc., New York, N.Y., $426,921
Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Inc., Rochester, N.Y., $143,973
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, Asheville N.C., $559,966
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, $740,096
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore., $696,390
eDev, Eugene, Ore., $114,074
Gorge Grown Food Network, Hood River, Ore., $246,533
Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., $747,211
Federation of Southern Cooperative/Land Assistance Fund, Inc., Quinby, S.C., $577,166
Dakota Rural Action, Brookings, S.D., $132,200
South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D., $748,892
Mitchell Technical Institute, Mitchell, S.D., $147,542
Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, Texas, $674,768
Utah State University, Logan, Utah, $748,109
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va., $743,872
Grassworks, Inc., Seymour, Wisc., $96,690
Farley Center for Peace, Justice and Sustainability, Verona, Wisc., $146,825
Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. More information is at: www.nifa.usda.gov.
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