Grant Opportunities

USDA Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP)
Deadline to apply is March 23, 2012 (or March 19 if submitting through WSDA)
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/FSMIP
This program provides matching funds on a competitive basis to State Departments of Agriculture, State agricultural experiment stations, and other appropriate State agencies to assist in exploring new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products, and to encourage research and innovation aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the U.S. marketing system.  The deadline to apply for 2012 funds is March 23, 2012 at Grants.gov.  Applications that are submitted through WSDA must be submitted by March 19, 2012, to WSDA, Larry Oline, Contracts Office, PO Box 42560, 1111 Washington St., SE, 2nd floor, Olympia, WA  98504-2560; telephone (360) 902-2001; fax (360) 902-2092; email: loline@agr.wa.gov.

Grants.gov
http://www.grants.gov
Grants.gov is a source to find and apply for federal grants.  It is a central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs and provides access to approximately $500 billion in annual awards.  Search for grants or sign up for email alerts.

Notices of Funding Availability
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RD_NOFAs.html
Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA) published in the Federal Register are summarized daily at this site.

USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP)
http://agr.wa.gov/Grants/SCBGP/
Under the 2008 Farm Bill, WSDA received grant funding from USDA to enhance the competitiveness of Washington's specialty crops.  WSDA conducts an annual competitive application process to award grant funds.  Funding for the program is scheduled to continue through 2012.

USDA Farm Service Agency Programs
FSA helps to ensure a stable food supply for the nation by supporting American farmers.

• Disaster Assistance Programs:
      http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=diap&topic=landing
  
Farm Loan Programs:
    http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=fmlp&topic=landing

Conservation Programs:
    http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=landing

USDA Value Added Producers Grant
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/wa/BUSVAPG_26.htm
This program was created with two primary objectives.  The first is to encourage independent producers of agricultural commodities to further refine these products increasing their value to end users.  The second objective is to establish an information resource center to collect, disseminate, coordinate, and provide Information on value-added processing to independent producers and processors.

USDA Rural Development Business Grants
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/wa/BUSgrants.htm
USDA Rural Development offers a variety of grant programs that facilitate the development of small and emerging private business enterprises, promote sustainable economic development and job creation projects in rural communities with the most need.

USDA Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/frpp
This program helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture by providing funds to purchase conservation easements.

USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/beginningfarmerandrancher.cfm
This program provides resources to support the develpment of educational outreach curricula, workshops, educational teams, training, and technical assistance programs to assist beginning farmers and ranchers with entering, establishing, building and managing successful farm and ranch enterprises.

USDA Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/food/in_focus/hunger_if_competitive.html
Community Food Projects are designed to increase food security in communities by bringing the whole food system together to assess strengths, establish linkages, and create systems to improve the self-reliance of community members over their food needs.

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
http://wsare.usu.edu/
This is a program that functions through competitive grants conducted cooperatively by farmers, ranchers, researchers and ag professionals to advance farm and ranch systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities.