A meeting on the Farm Energy Efficiency Project (FEEP) is scheduled for Thursday, November 19 at 7pm at the Mountain Horticulture Research and Extension Center, 455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC.
The North Carolina FEEP originated from a grant awarded to North Carolina Farm Bureau by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. The project's goal is to provide educational and technical support for farmers regarding agricultural energy use and efficiency. Farmers may also apply for low cost energy audits that will evaluate way to save farm energy costs.
"As farmers continue to face increasing costs, the data from energy audits and implementing energy saving plans can result in substantial, long-term savings," said Paul Sherman, air and energy programs director with North Carolina Farm Bureau.
The United State Department of Agriculture's Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) can provide grants and loans on projects that meet the criteria to save energy or implement new energy programs. FEEP will also provide matching funds that will improve a farmer's ability to obtain funds from REAP.
The funds will provide technical support needed to analyze proposals, perform energy audits, and prepare competitive applications for REAP loans and grants.
USDA Rural Development personnel will also be at the meeting to further explain how farmers can benefit from the REAP grant and loan program.
By the end of 2010, the project will have facilitated 200 on-farm energy audits and implemented at least 60 energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Visit the FEEP web site http://www.ncfarmenergy.org/ for more information.
Showing posts with label farmers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label farmers. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Monday, November 10, 2008
Western North Carolina Farmers Eligible for Funds
Awards totaling $675,000 over a 3-year period will be granted to western North Carolina farmers. Farmers who are interested contact your local extension agent by December 1 to discuss and research their project. Applications must be postmarked by January 23. Award recipients will be announced in February.
The grant will be provided by the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, which will partner with Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) and the WNC AgOptions program to accept applications and monitor the recipients' projects. Through this partnership, WNC AgOptions, a program established in 2004 and managed by NC Cooperative Extension Centers in the West District, will continue assisting mountain farmers transitioning from tobacco and other crops through 2011.
This grant was put in place to lessen the economic distress caused by soaring input and energy costs and the lingering effects of the state's drought conditions. Current and former tobacco growers are the primary audience for the program; however, any farmers living in tobacco dependent communities are eligible.
In 2009, WNC AgOptions will award demonstration contracts valued at $3,000, $6,000, or $9,000 through competitive application and review process. Awards will total $225,000 each year within 17 western North Carolina counties and the Cherokee Reservation.
The ultimate impact is preservation of the family farm. Award recipients are encouraged to explore crop diversification, ways to replace lost tobacco income, and marketing and production techniques that demonstrate economic sustainability.
Examples of past WNC AgOptions projects include:
The grant will be provided by the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, which will partner with Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) and the WNC AgOptions program to accept applications and monitor the recipients' projects. Through this partnership, WNC AgOptions, a program established in 2004 and managed by NC Cooperative Extension Centers in the West District, will continue assisting mountain farmers transitioning from tobacco and other crops through 2011.
This grant was put in place to lessen the economic distress caused by soaring input and energy costs and the lingering effects of the state's drought conditions. Current and former tobacco growers are the primary audience for the program; however, any farmers living in tobacco dependent communities are eligible.
In 2009, WNC AgOptions will award demonstration contracts valued at $3,000, $6,000, or $9,000 through competitive application and review process. Awards will total $225,000 each year within 17 western North Carolina counties and the Cherokee Reservation.
The ultimate impact is preservation of the family farm. Award recipients are encouraged to explore crop diversification, ways to replace lost tobacco income, and marketing and production techniques that demonstrate economic sustainability.
Examples of past WNC AgOptions projects include:
- transition from tobacco production to ornamentals, berries, trout farms, or agritourism;
- improvements of existing operations, including horse boarding, mum production, and choose-and-cut Christmas trees;
- creative markets for livestock, including goats for invasive plants removal, grass-finished beef and naturally grown pork;
- beekeeping, including integrated pest management and queen-rearing;
- native plants nursery start-ups; and
- seasonal extension for vegetables.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Meeting to Discuss Grant Possibility ($$$) for Farmers
A meeting will be held on August 12 to discuss the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI) Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund. RAFI will make cost-share demonstration grants to farmers, farm organizations, and community groups. The grant is available to farmers in Alexander, Beaufort, Burke, Caldwell, Caswell, Craven, Cumberland, Davidson, Forsyth, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Iredell, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, McDowell, Nash, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Wayne, Wilkes, and Wilson counties.
The meeting will be at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service-McDowell County Center in the Extension Conference Room at 6:30 pm. Jason Roehrig from RAFI will be the speaker. The McDowell County Center is located in the County Administration Building on the 2nd floor at 60 East Court Street, Marion. For directions to the McDowell County Center, please call 828-652-7874 or 828-652-8104.
Cost-share support of up to $10,000 will be awarded to individual producers and support of up to $20,000 will be awarded to collaborative farmer efforts. Demonstration grants will be awarded through a competitive selection process. Grants will be awarded to innovative projects which show farmers a new direction or opportunity.
Priority will be given to projects that benefit farmers under 40 years of age with at least three years of farming experience and to farmers who had income from tobacco.
Deadline for the grant application is October 1, 2008. Funds will be available to farmers in December 2008.
For complete eligibility requirements and guidelines, visit RAFI-USA’s website at: http://www.rafiusa.org/programs/tobacco/2008cfp.pdf.
Jason Roehrig
919-621-0534
jason@rafiusa.org
RAFI-USA is a private, non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, North Carolina. RAFI cultivates markets, policies and communities that support thriving, socially just and environmentally sound family farms.
The meeting will be at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service-McDowell County Center in the Extension Conference Room at 6:30 pm. Jason Roehrig from RAFI will be the speaker. The McDowell County Center is located in the County Administration Building on the 2nd floor at 60 East Court Street, Marion. For directions to the McDowell County Center, please call 828-652-7874 or 828-652-8104.
Cost-share support of up to $10,000 will be awarded to individual producers and support of up to $20,000 will be awarded to collaborative farmer efforts. Demonstration grants will be awarded through a competitive selection process. Grants will be awarded to innovative projects which show farmers a new direction or opportunity.
Priority will be given to projects that benefit farmers under 40 years of age with at least three years of farming experience and to farmers who had income from tobacco.
Deadline for the grant application is October 1, 2008. Funds will be available to farmers in December 2008.
For complete eligibility requirements and guidelines, visit RAFI-USA’s website at: http://www.rafiusa.org/programs/tobacco/2008cfp.pdf.
Jason Roehrig
919-621-0534
jason@rafiusa.org
RAFI-USA is a private, non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, North Carolina. RAFI cultivates markets, policies and communities that support thriving, socially just and environmentally sound family farms.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Grant ($$$) Possibility for NC Farmers
The Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA) Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund will make cost-share demonstration grants to farmers, farm organizations, and community groups in Alexander, Beaufort, Burke, Caldwell, Caswell, Craven, Cumberland, Davidson, Forsyth, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Iredell, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, McDowell, Nash, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Wayne, Wilkes, and Wilson counties.
Cost-share support of up to $10,000 will be awarded to individual producers and support of up to $20,000 will be awarded to collaborative farmer efforts.
Demonstration grants will be awarded through a competitive selection process. Grants will be awarded to innovative projects which show farmers a new direction or opportunity.
Priority will be given to projects that benefit farmers under 40 years of age with at least three years of farming experience and to farmers who had income from tobacco.
Deadline for applications is October 1, 2008. Funds will be available to farmers in December 2008.
For complete eligibility requirements and guidelines, visit RAFI-USA’s website at: http://www.rafiusa.org/programs/tobacco/2008cfp.pdf.
For more information or to discuss potential project ideas contact:
Jason Roehrig
919-621-0534
jason@rafiusa.org
RAFI-USA is a private, non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, North Carolina. RAFI cultivates markets, policies and communities that support thriving, socially just and environmentally sound family farms.
Cost-share support of up to $10,000 will be awarded to individual producers and support of up to $20,000 will be awarded to collaborative farmer efforts.
Demonstration grants will be awarded through a competitive selection process. Grants will be awarded to innovative projects which show farmers a new direction or opportunity.
Priority will be given to projects that benefit farmers under 40 years of age with at least three years of farming experience and to farmers who had income from tobacco.
Deadline for applications is October 1, 2008. Funds will be available to farmers in December 2008.
For complete eligibility requirements and guidelines, visit RAFI-USA’s website at: http://www.rafiusa.org/programs/tobacco/2008cfp.pdf.
For more information or to discuss potential project ideas contact:
Jason Roehrig
919-621-0534
jason@rafiusa.org
RAFI-USA is a private, non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, North Carolina. RAFI cultivates markets, policies and communities that support thriving, socially just and environmentally sound family farms.
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