Bishop Urges Local Groups to Apply for Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

Press Release

Congressman Tim Bishop urges local partnerships to apply for assistance through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

Administered through the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institutes of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program provides funding to train, educate, and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers. The Farm Bill allocated a total of $19 million for the program nationwide in FY 2014. Applicants must be a collaborative, State, local, tribal or regionally-based network or partnership of public or private entities.

"I recently met with a group of individuals who were new to the vocation of farming," said Congressman Bishop. "What they made clear to me is that they could benefit from support, guidance, and partnership at each level of government to make their work a little easier. Programs like the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program provide that support from the federal level."

Examples of groups or partnerships that are eligible for help under this program include state cooperative extension services, community-based and non-governmental organizations, and colleges and universities. Priority will be given to projects led by or including non-governmental community-based or school-based agricultural educational organizations. Each applicant must provide funds or in-kind support from non-federal sources equaling at least 25 percent of the federal funds requested.

The NIFA will host two webinars to provide more information about the program. The first webinar, to be this Wednesday, April 30, 2014, will provide general guidelines for the program. The second webinar, to be held on May 6, 2014, will focus on funding allocations for socially-disadvantaged and military veteran farmers and ranchers.

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program is an education, training, technical assistance, and outreach program designed to help farmers, ranchers, and managers of non-industrial private forest land. It specifically targets those who aim to start farming and those who have been farming for 10 years or less. Over 50,000 farmers and ranchers have participated in projects funded by the program.

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