Opportunities
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Food Nutrition Service’s Farm to School Grants help connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for school meals. Application deadline: Jan. 12, 2024.
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USDA’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program is open to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination from USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. Application details (in English and Spanish), office locations, and local events are listed at 22007apply.gov. Filing an application is FREE and does not require a lawyer. Application deadline: Jan. 13, 2024.
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Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program e-Solution Grants are open to State agencies, Indian Tribal Organizations and territories, or multi-state agency collaborations. Application deadline: Jan. 23, 2024.
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Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants provide funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Multiple deadlines in 2023 and 2024.
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EPA is requesting applications for the 2024 President’s Environmental Youth Awards and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators.
USDA Highlights
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USDA’s 100th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum will be held Feb. 15-16, 2024. Register for virtual or in-person attendance. In-person location is the Crystal City Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA. Over the first 97 years the forum has primarily focused on the needs of large scale, commercial agriculture, but in the last three years it has expanded to include urban agriculture and innovative production. This year, the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the Agricultural Marketing Service has organized a session with partners that focuses on the relationship between rural and urban organizations to create market opportunities for farmers. Stay tuned for additional information as the forum approaches!
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OUAIP’s Grant Program is bringing together diverse urban farms in Boston.
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Calling all students – two opportunities for you! NRCS is hiring Pathway Student Trainees nationwide. Deadlines vary by location. The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program is also open. Application deadline: Dec. 1, 2023.
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FSA is mailing ballots for the 2023 County Committee Elections to all eligible agricultural producers and private landowners across the country. Producers and landowners must return ballots to their local FSA county office or have their ballots be postmarked by Dec. 4, 2023, for those ballots to be counted.
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USDA’s Economic Research Service released the report: Household Food Security in the United States in 2022.
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Pittsburgh, PA will soon have an Urban Soil Survey. Thanks to input and assistance from local partners, Allegheny County Conservation District and the University of Pittsburg, NRCS has announced plans to survey and map the city.
Federal Advisory Committee
The seventh public meeting of the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee will be held Nov. 29, 2023, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST. The public may attend via Zoom with advance registration. Written comments will be accepted via Federal Register Notice until Dec. 13, 2023, and will be shared with Committee members for consideration. The final agenda will be posted on the Federal Advisory Committee website prior to the meeting.
People’s Garden Initiative
The Back to School People’s Garden webinar recording is now available. If you would like to stay updated on the latest offerings from the Food Nutrition Service Team, sign up for the Team Nutrition e-newsletter in English and Spanish and The Dirt!
What We’re Reading
In Case You Missed It
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released two new reports quantifying methane emissions from landfilled food waste and updating recommendations for managing wasted food:
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