USDA News from National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition April-May 2014

Posted on May 4, 2014 by in Funding, Rural Development, Small Farms, Sustainable Agriculture // 0 Comments

USDA News from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) April-May 2014

Conservation Easement Funding; USDA Invests $7 Million to Research Small Farms; Research Support for Rural Communities; Funding for Rural Cooperative Development

Conservation Easement Funding Deadline Announced

On Thursday, May 1, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Department is now accepting applications for FY 2014 financial assistance through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). Applications must be submitted by the individual state deadline or June 6, 2014, whichever is earlier. Read More…

USDA Invests $7 Million to Research Challenges Facing Small Farms

Yesterday, Tuesday April 29, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced over seven million dollars in funding to support research on the profitability of small and medium-sized family farms, including their potential role in building local and regional systems.Read More…

Research Awards to Support Rural Communities

On April 30, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced more than $12 million in grants allocated to support the economic vitality of rural communities across the country. Read More…

Funding Available for Rural Cooperative Development

On April 29, 2014 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of competitive grant funds to support the development of rural cooperatives. A total of $5.8 million is available this year for the Rural Coop Development Grant (RCDG) program and an additional $3 million will be available for Small Socially-Disadvantaged Producer Grants, a subset of the RCDG program. Read More…