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Opportunities
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OUAIP’s Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grant program is now accepting proposals that support communities in growing or expanding access to fresh, local food. Application deadline: April 9, 2024.
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EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants include a general competition and tribes and territories competition. General deadline: April 1, 2024. Tribes and Territories deadline: May 1, 2024.
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NIFA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program supports education, mentoring, and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers and ranchers. Application deadline: April 4, 2024.
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FSA and T.I.M.E. Inc. are offering the Urban and Innovative Agriculture Community-Based Funding Opportunity in 11 U.S. locations. Application deadline: April 10, 2024.
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NIFA’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program brings together stakeholders from across the food system to increase understanding of how to leverage Federal nutrition assistance programs to improve food insecurity. Application deadline: May 14, 2024.
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AMS’s Local Agriculture Market Program is accepting applications for the Farmers Market Promotion Program, Local Food Promotion Program, and Regional Food System Partnerships Program. Application deadline: May 14, 2024.
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EPA’s Community Change Grants Program supports environmental and climate justice activities. Technical assistance for grant preparation is available. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Final application deadline: Nov. 21, 2024.
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RMA’s Nursery Value Select enables nursery producers to select the dollar amount coverage that best fits their risk management needs. Now open to all states and counties. Multiple deadlines.
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Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program, Renewable Energy Systems, and Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants fund renewable energy systems to help make energy efficiency improvements for agricultural producers and rural small businesses. Multiple deadlines.
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RMA’s Micro Farm Program provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on a farm under one insurance policy. This insurance plan is tailored for any farm with up to $350,000 in approved revenue. Sales closing date varies.
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Federal Advisory Committee
The next Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee meeting will take place April 10, 2-4 p.m. ET. Register to attend the meeting virtually and view the Federal Register Notice. Public comments will be accepted for this meeting until April 24, via email. The Committee’s 12 members advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the development of policies and outreach relating to urban, indoor, and other emerging agriculture production practices as well as identify barriers to urban agriculture.
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People’s Garden Initiative
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Headquarters People’s Garden: Spring is nearly here! The crocuses, tulips, and garlic we planted this winter are sprouting, bringing with them some beautiful greenery to the garden. In preparation for the upcoming warmer weather, we have been busy planting some of our earlier garden crops in the greenhouse. This includes more cold-hardy garden plants such as kale, collards, and cabbage. We also have planted a few varieties of native flowers to be added throughout the garden to encourage and support native pollinators and beneficial insects. |
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People’s Gardens Around the World: Welcome to the Spangdahlem Community Garden, the first People’s Garden on a U.S. military base and first registered international garden. Located in Spangdahlem, Germany, the community garden offers military personnel and family members the opportunity to foster new friendships, encourages social activity, and embrace social responsibility through sustainable living. According to Rachael Kohlwey, Program Manager, “learning how to grow, propagate, proliferate, and share edible organically grown foods offers more than knowledge, it offers a sustainable way of life.” The garden was built by 250 base volunteers dedicating over 450 hours of their time, including weekends and holidays using upcycled materials. It consists of 100% organic Hügelkultur garden raised beds and offers Americans living in a foreign country a small taste of the life they had back home, develop lifelong friendships, and sustainable gardening skills while improving the mental, physical, and spiritual health of all who participate. |
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Xerces Conservation Corner: Collembola & Farming with Soil Life: As we transition to spring, your garden plants and the insect critters that live within and around your garden will begin to wake up. You might notice tiny “bugs” jumping around within the soil surface and leaf litter. But not to worry, these tiny springtail critters play an important role in your soil's health! Springtails (Collembola) are small arthropods, about the size of a grain of rice or smaller (0.25mm-5mm), that live in the soil surface litter and vegetation, decaying logs, fungi, and under bark. They can be found in all terrestrial habitats, from deserts to rainforests, and are dominant in arctic soils. As decomposers and fungal foragers, springtails play a crucial role in nitrogen cycling and plant growth.
To find some collembola in your garden or yard, shake some leaf litter in a clear shallow dish and look very carefully! Springtails are known to jump around so keep an eye out for movement. A magnifying glass or hand lens will help you see more closely! Collembola are generally round and compact in shape with six legs, and one pair of antennae, and vary in color from orange to purple, white, gray, or brown. Learn more about springtails and other important soil life, check out our Farming with Soil Life Handbook, Pocket Guide, and YouTube playlist.
Finally, enjoy the latest edition of Fridays on the Farm: Growing Urban Opportunities in the Ozarks to see how CoxHealth and Springfield Community Gardens, a People’s Garden, are using USDA assistance to grow unique opportunities in their area.
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