Ag Opportunities

Volume 23, Number 2
February 2012

Volume 23, Number 1
January 2012

Grants and Assistance

Applications Being Accepted Now for Value-Added Agriculture Projects

The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced that the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority is now accepting applications for grants to assist farmers with business planning expenses for projects that develop, process, or market agricultural goods.

Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, and applications evaluated on their economic development potential for the agriculture industry, credibility and merit, probability of near-term commercialization and practical application of project results, source and level of matching funds and the geographic location of the project's economic impact.

"Grants, like these for value-added agriculture, are important tools for Missouri's producers and agribusinesses as they work to expand their operations and realize new opportunities," said Director of Agriculture Dr. Jon Hagler. "As Missouri agriculture continues to grow, our Department of Agriculture will lead the way in supporting our farmers' innovations in production and processing technology and in the future of our industry."

In 2011, the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority awarded more than $1 million in grants to assist value-added agriculture.

Past projects have included feasibility studies for international exports, local meat processing and renewable energy, as well as waste management and agricultural processing. Projects funded in previous years have also included business plans and marketing plans for locally produced dairy and poultry products, biomass pellets, compost products, and specialty grains.

The maximum individual grant is $200,000, with at least 10 percent of the available funding going to grant requests of $25,000 or less. Applicants are required to provide a 10 percent cash match toward eligible expenses, which do not include operating expenses, salaries or capital improvements.

These grants are funded through the purchase of tax credits and administered by the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority board.

To read more click here and to download the application click here.

Applications must be received by MASBDA no later than 5:00 p.m. January 13, 2012. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. For more information on the program and complete guidelines, visit mda.mo.gov or contact MASBDA.

NRCS Announces Ranking Dates for Major Conservation Programs and Initiatives

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) today announced ranking dates for its major conservation programs and initiatives that offer technical and financial assistance to Missouri farmers and ranchers.

NRCS accepts applications for financial assistance on a continuous basis throughout the year. However, NRCS establishes ranking periods for its programs that allow it to rank submitted proposals for funding consideration. NRCS then notifies all applicants of the results of the rankings and begins developing contracts with selected applicants.

The ranking period cutoff dates for the major conservation programs and initiatives that apply in Missouri are:

February 3, 2012

  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
  • Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
  • On-Farm Energy Initiative
  • Organic Initiative
  • Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative

March 30, 2012

  • On-Farm Energy Initiative
  • Organic Initiative
  • Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative

June 1, 2012

  • On-Farm Energy Initiative
  • Organic Initiative
  • Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative

Moving to multiple ranking dates instead of just one annually will make it easier for more producers to apply for the three initiatives and help them get started with implementing the practices they need to benefit the natural resources on their operations, State Conservationist J.R. Flores says.

"This change will also give Missouri's agriculture producers more time to make sure they choose the initiatives that are right for their operations," Flores says.

Flores adds that additional ranking periods for EQIP and WHIP could be established at a later date depending upon Missouri's funding allocation.

Program and Initiative Overviews

  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program: EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to install and implement structural and management conservation practices on agricultural land.
  • Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program: WHIP provides financial and technical assistance on private agricultural land, nonindustrial private forest land and Indian land to assist eligible producers establish and manage fish and wildlife habitat.
  • On-Farm Energy Initiative: NRCS and producers develop Agricultural Energy Management Plans (AgEMP) or farm energy audits that assess energy consumption on an operation. NRCS then uses audit data to develop energy conservation recommendations. Each AgEMP has a landscape component that assesses equipment and farming processes and a farm headquarters component that assesses power usage and efficiencies in livestock buildings, grain handling operations, and similar facilities to support the farm operation.
  • Organic Initiative: NRCS helps certified organic growers and producers working to achieve organic certification install conservation practices for organic production. New for fiscal year 2012, applicants will be evaluated continuously during the ranking periods. Applications meeting or exceeding a threshold score may be approved for an EQIP contract before the end of the ranking period. Applications rating below the threshold score will be deferred to the next period. A new threshold score will be established at the beginning of each ranking period. This new scoring process allows organic producers to implement conservation practices in a timelier manner.
  • Seasonal High Tunnel Pilot Initiative: NRCS helps producers plan and implement the steel-framed, polyethylene-covered structures that extend growing seasons in an environmentally safe manner. High tunnel benefits include better plant and soil quality, fewer nutrients and pesticides in the environment, and better air quality due to fewer vehicles being needed to transport crops.
  • Visit the NRCS National Website for more information on how to apply for these initiatives and connect with an NRCS office near you.

Environmental Justice Small Grants Program

EPA will award grants that support activities designed to educate, empower, and enable communities to understand environmental and public health issues and to identify ways to address these issues at the local level. Applications are due by February 29, 2012.

Since its inception in 1994, the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program has awarded more than $23 million in funding to 1,253 community-based organizations, and local and tribal organizations working with communities facing environmental justice issues.

The Environmental Justice Small Grants Program supports and empowers communities working on solutions to local environmental and public health issues. The program assists recipients in building collaborative partnerships to help them understand and address environmental and public health issues in their communities. Successful collaborative partnerships involve not only well-designed strategic plans to build, maintain and sustain the partnerships, but also working towards addressing the local environmental and public health issues. For more information go to http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html

[ Ag Opportunities Index ] - [ AgEBB Home Page ] - [ Comments ]