WNC Agricultural Options’ 10th annual grant cycle is underway. With funding from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, WNC AgOptions will award a total of $153,000 to diversifying farmers in western North Carolina in 2014. Farmers have until December 13 to submit an application for a $3,000 or $6,000 grant.
“The 2014 funding cycle will represent a decade of service to our agricultural industry through farmer grants, educational seminars and technical assistance,” said Ross Young, Madison County Extension Director and WNC AgOptions steering committee leader. ”Since 2004, more than 350 farmer grants and several community grants have been awarded. We are extremely grateful to the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission as the sole funder of this program since its inception.” Applications for the 2014 grant cycle are available at www.wncagoptions.org and at local Cooperative Extension Centers. Interested applicants should contact their local Extension Agents by November 1 to notify them that they intend to apply. Extension Agents work closely with the recipients throughout the grant cycle, giving them moral support and answering questions. WNC AgOptions welcomes four more counties to its now 22-county/unit coverage area: Burke, Caldwell, Cleveland and Rutherford. Other eligible counties are: Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey counties as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The administrator of WNC AgOptions is WNC Communities, a non-profit organization that has been improving agriculture in the region since 1947. WNC Communities provides a unique forum for leaders in western North Carolina to carry out innovative programs to improve the quality of life for rural communities and to enhance the agriculture economy. Watauga Campus Tuesdays and Thursdays 10/3-10/17. 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm $16.00 (includes textbook) This 10-hour short course is designed to introduce the basics of beekeeping to persons interested in hobby beekeeping. Topics to be covered include races of bees, basic beehive and frame construction and placement, and beekeeping tools. We will also discuss installing bees, hive management, diseases and treatment, and briefly discuss honey production. Call 828-263-5378 for information. CCC&TI Corporate and Continuing Education ![]() Released: Sept. 3, 2013 Contact: Candace Pollock SSARE PR Coordinator [email protected] 770-412-4786 GRIFFIN, Georgia -- Calls for Proposals for the 2013 Producer Grants, intended for farmers/ranchers and farmer/rancher organizations throughout the Southern region, are now available from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) program. Proposal submission deadline is November 18, 2013. Announcement of funded grants will take place in late February 2014. Producer Grants are used to conduct sustainable agriculture research projects that solve agricultural production challenges farmers face and to develop information on what works and what doesn’t so that other farmers and ranchers facing those same challenges can benefit from the results of the funded project. Producer grants are not designed to pay a farmer to farm; buy livestock, equipment, or land; make permanent farm improvements or support private enterprises through capital investments. Southern SARE Producer Grants are research grants, designed to take some of the financial risk away from trying a solution. Projects may be funded for up to two years for a project maximum of $10,000 for an individual producer or $15,000 for a producer organization. Producer organizations should be comprised primarily of farmers/ranchers and must have a majority farmer representation on their governing board. For detailed information on how to apply for a Producer Grant, download the current Producer Grant Call for Proposals. The Producer Grant Call for Proposals includes application information, use of funds, proposal submission instructions, and contact information. Be sure to carefully follow the information in the Call for Proposals when submitting your proposal. Failure to follow the submission guidelines may result in your proposal being rejected. For more information about Southern SARE, visit http://www.southernsare.org. Announcement published by the Southern Region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Southern SARE operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State University, and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture to offer competitive grants to advance sustainable agriculture in America's Southern region. |
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