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We're excited to share that Centers & Center Partners can now subscribe to the Regional Food Business Center Digest directly! Simply forward this message to your key partners and technical assistance providers and click the subscription link here or in the footer of this newsletter to sign up.
This Digest is specifically for the Regional Food Business Center partners. Continue scrolling to learn more about upcoming resources and events.
November 2024
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Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center Now Accepting Business Builder Grant Applications for Colorado
 The Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center (RFBC), is excited to announce the launch of the Business Builder Subaward Program, an initiative designed to support small and mid-sized farm and food businesses across six states: Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming. With $6.75 million in funding available through 2027, this program will help regional producers strengthen their market access, expand operations, and create new revenue streams.
Now Accepting Applications in Colorado
The first round of funding is now open for farm and food businesses in Colorado. The RFBC has allocated $200,000 in Business Builder grants to support local farms and food businesses in the state. These grants are designed to assist businesses focused on local and regional markets with the goal of expanding their operations and gaining access to new markets.
The Request for Applications (RFA) is open now through January 10, 2025, and the center expects to make between 20 and 60 grants. To apply, businesses must demonstrate how they plan to use the funding to address specific barriers to growth and improve the viability of their operations.
Additional Funding Pools Coming Soon
While the Colorado funding pool is now open, the RFBC is preparing to announce additional funding opportunities in the coming months. The next Request for Applications will focus on Idaho and is expected to be released later this fall.
The center also plans to open additional funding pools, including Focus on Topic awards, which will address key regional issues such as improving food processing infrastructure, increasing the availability of climate-resilient crops, and fostering connections within the food supply chain.
One of the highlights of the program is the regional-scale funding pool, which will support projects that serve multiple states in the Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions. This funding is designed to reach underserved businesses and geographic areas, ensuring that the benefits of these grants are felt across the entire region.
How to Apply
Farm and food businesses in Colorado interested in applying for Business Builder grants are encouraged to visit the Northwest and Rocky Mountain RFBC website for more information on eligibility, application guidelines, and the full RFA. The center’s staff is also available to provide technical assistance and answer any questions about the application process.
For more information and to apply for funding, visit the Northwest and Rocky Mountain RFBC website.
October 23 Press Release - USDA and the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center Will Make Available $6.75 Million to Food and Farm Businesses through Business Builder Subaward Program
Based on Center feedback and acknowledging our previous conflicting guidance, USDA has determined that because the 2023 AMS General Terms and Conditions were in effect when our cooperative agreements were signed, that is the version that applies to the program. If you have final materials that reference the 2021 AMS Terms and Conditions, there is no need to update references at this time, as the two version have very minimal differences. The next opportunity that comes to revise, please update your materials to the 2023 AMS Terms and Conditions.
Some of you may be tracking that changes to the Uniform Guidance took effect on October 1, 2024. Those changes do NOT apply to the Regional Food Business Center agreements or subawards. Only new grants and agreements signed after October 1, 2024 will follow the updated guidance.
Introducing the RFBC Resource Hub - the new way to interact with shared Box files!
 What is the RFBC Resource Hub?
The RFBC Resource Hub is a centralized platform accessed through a single, stable link, thoughtfully organized by topic and theme. The simplified design makes it easy to navigate the large amount of program resources and eliminates the need for individual links. The RFBC Resource Hub is intended only for Center leads and partners.
How do I access the RFBC Resource Hub?
Access the RFBC Resource Hub through a single, stable link. Bookmark this link. No Box account is needed to view/interact with the resources. The RFBC Resource Hub is connected to the Box files you’re used to interacting with and is meant to streamline the system of accessing, navigating, and downloading shared materials. Don’t worry, the links to individual files and folders you’ve bookmarked remain active. Think of the RFBC Resource Hub as an upgrade and rebrand to everything shared via Box.
What is the RFBC Resource Hub designed to do?
The goal of the RFBC Resource Hub is to funnel everyone through one landing page, making it easier for Center partners to manage the large amount of content produced for the RFBCs. The Resource Hub also allows Centers to upload and share resources – facilitating collaboration and innovation among Centers. Navigate to the “Upload Shared Resources” section to learn more about sharing resources and tools.
How Should I Share About the RFBC Resource Hub to Partners?
Center leads should have received an email on November 1, introducing the RFBC Resource Hub forward that email to your Partners as needed. Please do not post the Resource Hub link to your public website as the Resource Hub is for Center leads and partners only.
Happy exploring!
New and Updated Networking and Funding Resources!
We’re excited to share this newly created USDA Networking Workbook for Regional Food Business Centers. This workbook was designed to support RFBC networking with USDA staff and USDA funded organizations working on outreach, technical assistance, and market development in your regions. In the sheets, there are links to various USDA regional, state, and local contacts and a searchable database of funded projects, sortable by RFBC region. Please see this tutorial video for more on how to use this tool.
We also know that funding opportunities are top of mind for you and the people in your networks. To help keep track of funding opportunities, we are regularly updating our LRFD Funding Tracker. This month, we’ve added new content in the sheet itself, and created this tutorial video, to help users navigate it more easily.
These tools need to work for you! Please let us know if you have any feedback or would like additional information by emailing regionalfoodcenters@usda.gov or reaching out to your regional coordinator.
USDA Funding Tracker - UPDATED
*The funding tracker is available to the Centers only, however all of the information contained including links and contact information may be shared with partners or community members
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USDA Funding Tracker - This tool includes links to program websites, links and deadlines for open grant opportunities, links to webinars, contact info for program managers as well as anticipated grant announcements. |
Join us Thursday, November 21 at 1:00 pm ET, for “Stories of Resilience in Action: Strengthening local and regional food system from within.” Featuring the expertise and experience of local regional food systems leaders, this webinar explores strategies for supporting recovery and resilience of local and regional food systems in the face of natural and man-made disruptions. Panelists Erin Bradley (Freshlist Food Hub), Sommer Sibilly-Brown (Good Food Virgin Islands), and Chloe Diegel (Robinette Farms) will share their insights and lessons including lessons from past, current, and future-looking initiatives that highlight the interconnected efforts required to build resilient food systems. The discussion-based panel will explore how resilience requires engagement with diverse partners and maintaining inclusive networks before, during, and after a crisis.
The discussion builds on the work of USDA's Local and Regional Food Systems Resilience Playbook, an interactive and multi-media platform full of strategic frameworks and real-world examples that demonstrate how local and regional food systems foster resilience through their flexibility, diversity, and ability to adapt to changing conditions.
This webinar is the second installment in USDA LRFD’s ongoing Local and Regional Foods Resources & Research webinar series (the R&R Webinars), a monthly webinar series highlighting local and regional foods research projects, resources, partnerships and programs.
Past Webinar:
October 17 - The first webinar in this series provided an update on the Regional Food Business Center Program, with representatives from various centers sharing their region-specific initiatives. The webinar also highlighted the program’s first-year impacts and outlined ways for stakeholders to engage with their local centers.
View our past webinars.
Upcoming Webinars:
The webinars will be held on the third Thursday of each month from 1 to 2 p.m. ET.
Please join us on November 20 from 2:00-3:00 pm ET for Tea ‘n TA. Our November gathering will be focused on workshopping some specific ideas for different Centers. If you are developing a tool or idea related to outreach, marketing, or technical assistance that would be helpful to workshop, you can send us a note (sarah.axe@usda.gov, annelise.straw@usda.gov) by November 15.
The Zoom room will open at 1:45 pm ET for 15 minutes of informal networking time.
*As a reminder, Tea ‘n TA is not recorded, and the Mural serves as place to find summaries of discussions and key takeaways.*
We look forward to seeing you there!
Network of Centers, Tuesday, November 5, 3:00 PM ET.
During November's Network of Centers meeting, attendees discussed the following topics:
- Building the RFBC Collaborative Network - reflection on graphic designs from conference & creating your own
- Resource "Gives & Gets"
Please make sure to REGISTER in Zoom for these meetings.
You can find the slide deck, zoom recording, and meeting notes in the new RFBC Resource Hub. If you have questions on navigating the hub, watch this quick demo HERE.
Business Builder Working Group, Tuesday, November 19, 2:30 PM ET.
Please make sure to REGISTER in Zoom for these meetings.
Materials from previous calls are available in the new RFBC Resource Hub.
Evaluation and Impacts Working Group, Tuesday, November 26, 3:00 PM ET.
We are looking forward to our upcoming working group meeting, where we'll continue to get your input on resources and supports for consistent and meaningful data collection, including discussing working with Technical Assistance providers to capture data.
Please make sure to REGISTER in Zoom for these meetings.
Materials from previous calls are available in the new RFBC Resource Hub.
AMS Market News - Regional Food Business Center Link
USDA Market News | Agricultural Marketing Service publishes unbiased, timely price and volume information for hundreds of agricultural commodities each year. Market News data – increasingly available in more interactive tools like dashboards – provides the industry with key wholesale, retail, and shipping data. This information gives farmers, producers, and other agricultural businesses, regardless of size and marketing methods, the information they need to evaluate market conditions, identify trends, plan production, make purchasing and sales decisions, monitor price patterns, evaluate transportation options, and accurately assess product demand.
To develop more robust and insightful market reports for local and regional food systems, the Market News Team would love to hear from the Regional Food Business Centers. Please reach out to Jennifer.Porter@usda.gov to get more information or arrange a meeting.
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Free Tax Education Webinars
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Register for two free webinars for information on how to navigate the tax implications of hurricane damage and tips on how to work with a tax professional.
Event - Hurricane and Disaster Tax Issues for Farmers and Ranchers
Date – November 20, 2024
Time - 2:30 – 4:30pm ET
Presenter – JC Hobbs, Oklahoma State University
Register Here - November 20
Event- Working with a Tax Professional
Date – November 22, 2024
Time – 1:00 – 2:30pm ET
Presenter – Kevin Burkett, Clemson University
Register Here - November 22
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USDA and Reinvestment Fund Invest Nearly $6 Million to Increase Equitable Access to Healthy Foods Across Country
As Part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, Funding Will Help Grocers, Markets and Other Organizations Provide Healthy Food Options to Underserved Communities.
The investments are being made through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Planning Grant Program, which provides grants to organizations for healthy food retail or food retail supply chain projects in early-stage planning and predevelopment phases.
November 1 Press Release - USDA and Reinvestment Fund Invest Nearly $6 Million to Increase Equitable Access to Healthy Foods Across Country
Two current research projects funded by AMS are looking for survey responses. While you as a Center or Center partner are not the target respondent for either survey, we are asking that you share these opportunities with your producer networks.
The first project aims to identify best practices for providing technical assistance to producers interested in scaling to wholesale markets and the second project is a voluntary survey of producers participating in agritourism activities.
Virginia Tech and Illinois Tech launch Black, Hispanic, and Tribal Producer Wholesale Marketing and Technical Assistance Survey
If you are a farmer or rancher who identifies as Black, Hispanic, or Tribal, selling wholesale now or in the past, or plan to access wholesale markets, we would like to invite you to take this online survey. This project aims to understand the distinct technical assistance needs of Black, Hispanic, and Tribal producers when accessing and scaling into wholesale markets. “Technical assistance” refers to a range of services that provide farmers and ranchers with expert guidance, resources, and support related to farming practices, market access, and regulatory compliance. Responses from this survey will support identifying best practices, challenges, gaps, and associated issues to inform technical assistance providers, along with programs, policies, and institutions. The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Click this link to take the survey: https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/wholesaleequitysurvey.
If you are an individual, organization, or institution providing technical assistance to Black, Hispanic and Tribal producers, and are willing to participate in an interview, please reach out to the project team. Additionally, we request that you forward the producer survey to your networks.
The project is being conducted jointly by a team of researchers from Virginia Tech and the Illinois Institute of Technology. If you have any questions or complaints about this study, you can contact Pratyoosh Kashyap at pratyoosh@vt.edu or Weslynne Ashton at washton@iit.edu.
Spanish language description:
Virginia Tech e Illinois Tech lanzan una Encuesta sobre comercialización al por mayor y asistencia técnica para productores Afroamericanos, Hispanos y Tribales: Si es agricultor o ganadero que se identifica como Afroamericano, Hispano o Tribal, que vende al por mayor ahora o lo hizo anteriormente, o tiene previsto acceder a los mercados al por mayor, nos gustaría que participara participar en esta encuesta en línea. Con este proyecto, se pretende comprender las distintas necesidades de asistencia técnica de los productores Afroamericanos, Hispanos y Tribales a la hora de acceder a los mercados al por mayor y hacer crecer las operaciones para acceder a esos mercados. Por “asistencia técnica” nos referimos a una serie de servicios que ofrecen a los agricultores y ganaderos orientación especializada, recursos y apoyo en relación con las prácticas agrícolas, el acceso a los mercados y el cumplimiento de las normativas de ley. Las respuestas a esta encuesta se usarán para identificar las prácticas recomendadas, los obstáculos, las brechas y los problemas asociados con el fin de informar a los proveedores de asistencia técnica, y a los programas, las políticas y las instituciones. Responder la encuesta debería tomar unos 10 minutos. Haga clic en este enlace para realizar la encuesta: https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/wholesaleequitysurvey .
Si es usted un individuo, organización o institución que proporciona asistencia técnica a productores Afroamericanos, Hispanos y Tribales, y está dispuesto a participar en una entrevista, por favor póngase en contacto con el equipo del proyecto. Además, le solicitamos que comparta la encuesta para productores en sus redes.
Al proyecto lo realiza en conjunto un equipo de investigadores de Virginia Tech y el Instituto de Tecnología de Illinois. Si tiene alguna pregunta o queja sobre este estudio, puede comunicarse con Pratyoosh Kashyap al correo pratyoosh@vt.edu o con Weslynne Ashton al correo washton@iit.edu.
Agritourism Survey
 Be counted! If your farm, ranch, or agricultural business is open to visitors, please take 5 minutes to complete a short survey from our colleagues at the University of Vermont.
The goal of this survey is to understand how many agricultural operations in the U.S. welcome visitors for direct sales and experiences, including pick-your-own, farm stands, tours, overnight farm stays, recreation, etc. This information will be used to inform future programs and support. This research study is led by Dr. Lisa Chase, Extension Professor at the University of Vermont and Director of the Vermont Tourism Research Center.
If you have questions about the survey, please contact Lisa.Chase@uvm.edu or 802-656-7532. If you have questions about your rights as a participant in a research project, please contact the Research Protections Office at the University of Vermont at 802-656-5040.
Registration Open: 2024 IAC Annual Conference (December 10-12)
 Join the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) at this year's annual conference, December 10-12, 2024, at the beautiful Palms Casino Resort owned and operated by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. This event brings together Tribal leaders, farmers, ranchers, youth, and entrepreneurs to explore new markets and collaborate with key partners.
This conference offers a unique platform to explore opportunities that rebuild food systems to align with cultural teachings and values.
For more information visit the IAC conference website.
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