Sources of Funding
ORGANIC PROGRAM GRANTS
The USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) is offering grants for its Integrated Organic Program of the USDA. Go to the Agricultural Systems Emphasis Area and click on "Organic Agriculture." Proposals must be received at CSREES headquarters by May 2, 2005. The purpose of the Integrated Organic Program is to solve critical agriculture issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research, education, and extension activities in two program areas: (1) Organic Transitions Program (ORG), and (2) Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). ORG funds the development and implementation of research, extension, and higher education programs to improve the competitiveness of organic producers. OREI funds research and extension programs that enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic food, feed, and fiber. These two funding opportunities are included in the same Request for Applications.
WESTERN SARE GRANTS PRE-PROPOSALS, PROPOSALS
The USDA's Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE) program is releasing calls for proposals in early April. The call for proposals will be available in four categories: Research and Education, Professional Development, Farmer/Rancher, and Ag Professional+ Producer. Calls for pre-proposals and proposals, as well as funded project results, are available at the program's Web site http://wsare.usu.edu, or by contacting the Western SARE office at Utah State University at (435) 797-2257 to request an application. Four regional councils implement the national SARE program, which was mandated by Congress in the 1985 and 1990 Farm Bills and extended by the 1995 Farm Bill reauthorization. Western SARE is coordinated by Utah State University soil scientist V. Philip Rasmussen and led by an administrative council that represents diverse agricultural, business, producer, and public interests in the West. The Western Region includes Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Micronesia, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, N. Mariana Islands, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
VALUE-ADDED AGRICULTURE GRANTS
The USDA is offering $14.3 million in grants that will support the development of value-added agriculture business ventures and the development of alternative sources of renewable energy. The grants are aimed at providing farmers and ranchers with investment funds to expand their role in developing and marketing value-added products. Examples include making grain into bread products or ethanol, growing organic or heirloom vegetables, or generating electricity from farm-based dairy lagoons. Priority consideration will be given to those grant applications that have at least 51% of project costs dedicated to activities for a bio-energy project. Grants are available to independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer or rancher cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures. Applications must be received no later than May 6, 2005. For more information, see the USDA Rural Development Web site at www.rurdev.usda.gov/ca or see the PDF file.
ORGANIC RESEARCH GRANTS
The Organic Farming Research Foundation is offering research grants of up to $15,000 for organic farming research and related topics. Deadlines for proposal consideration are July 15 for the fall funding cycle and December 15 for the spring funding cycle. For more information see OFRF's Web site (www.ofrf.org), call 831-426-6606 or email research@ofrf.org.
