Beginning Farmer and Rancher Grant Application Deadline - May 16, 2019

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program provides grants to organizations for education, mentoring, and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers or ranchers. Ensuring there will be a “new generation” of beginning farmers and ranchers — regardless of age or production choice — is especially important to the continuation of agricultural production in the United States. 

Eligibility: Applications may only be submitted by a collaborative state, tribal, local, or regionally-based network or partnership of qualified public and/or private entities. These collaborations may include the following entities: State Cooperative Extension Services; Federal, State, municipal or tribal agencies: community based organizations (CBOS); non-governmental organizations (NGOS); junior and four-year colleges and universities or foundations maintained by a college or university; and private for-profit organizations.

Match: There is a 25% match under this program.

This match can be waived with adequate justification for applicants serving underserved areas or populations.

FY-2019-FY2020 RFA solicitations

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=314549--currently

Here is a link to the BFRDP Funding Opportunity Webpage

Here is a link to the BFRDP Webpage

The application for 2019 is open now and will close on Thursday, May 16, 2019.

The application deadline for 2020 is February 13, 2020.

New Documentary: What Happened to All the Black Farmers? - NBC Left Field (Introduction)

Introduction

In production agriculture, the transfer of land and wealth from one generation to the next is as important as rain. All farmers understand this predicament, and know that using conservation, crop insurance and other tools can help alleviate some of the risks associated with farming.  But Black farmers across the south also know first hand that bad weather and pests are not the only hazards that may put you out of business.

We urge you to view this story which details how inequities in access to credit played a huge role in destroying the dreams of a young black sugar cane farmer desiring to follow in the steps of his father- a story all too familiar to us. In the 2018 Farm Bill, the Rural Coalition and its partners were successful in securing critical language on heirs property and equitable farm credit opportunities. The farm bill victories will help, but immediate systemic change at every level is essential in order to build the next generation of new and beginning farmers and ranchers.

Protecting Our Vote #GoVote

A message from the Rural Coalition: ​Protect the Vote,

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018

 UPDATE: Tues AM – Some of our members have reported broken voting machines at the polls.

Google Trends has reported the top trending tweet on Google now is “Dónde votar” = Where to Vote.

Take these numbers with you to the polls and share them with friends and family. Report any problems, and if you have any difficulty voting, do not leave the polls without casting a provisional ballot.

•  For bilingual information on where to vote go to http://veyvota.yaeshora.info/ or call 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA the bilingual national hotline.

• Find out where to vote, seek assistance, and report problems to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights  Under Law  non-partisan toll-free hotline (866-OUR-VOTE), which is available now through election day. https://www.866ourvote.org/  or Text "Our Vote" to 97779

•  Protect Native American Voting Rights -Report any problems to the hotline above, and also report to the Native American Voting Rights Coalitions at vote@narf.org.

Dear Rural Coalition Members and Allies, 

Most of you reading this will have likely already voted, plan to vote, or are currently working to help others to vote. We encourage you to:

 1) Vote today like our society depends on you! It does! For why, we are sharing these powerful words from Oprah Winfrey last week in Georgia:

OPRAH WINFREY: All of us may have been created equal, but if you're woke, if you're woke just a little bit, you have the sense to know that everybody is not treated equally. The reality is we see injustices big and small all around us every single day of our lives...

Every single one of us, every single one of us has the same power at the polls. And every single one of us has something that if done in numbers too big to tamper with cannot be suppressed and cannot be denied. As our civil rights predecessors used to say, 'We shall not be moved.' ...

For anybody here who had an ancestor who did not have the right to vote ... Honor your right to citizenship... *  

2) Protect the Vote – Yours and Others’!

 If you have already voted, thank you!

 If not, or if you are working to get the vote out, visit this important link (and take it with you to the polls) to learn when, where, or how to vote in your locality: https://www.866ourvote.org/ 

or Call 866-OUR-VOTE or Text "Our Vote" to 97779

And here is a special message from our chairperson, John Zippert, who has decades of experience: “If you (or others) have a problem at the polls - insist on voting a Provisional Ballot! Do not leave without voting; the provisional ballot gives the opportunity to resolve "voters list mistakes" after the election but in time to have your vote counted, especially in close elections”

After casting a Provisional Ballot, be sure to resolve any denial immediately. To learn what to do if you have trouble voting, go to https://www.866ourvote.org/  or Call 866-OUR-VOTE or Text "Our Vote" to 97779

Thank you for honoring those who struggled to win voting rights by using your right to vote!

 In Cooperation,

 The Board,Staff and Members of the Rural Coalition

PS: JOIN, RENEW, AND SUPPORT YOUR COALITION TODAY. Visit our new website for new stories of resilience and innovation and current policy updates on the 2018 Farm Bill. Also, join us for our Rural Coalition Winter Forum and 40th Anniversary Founders Dinner (details and registration here) on December 13-14th, 2018 in Washington, DC. To become part of one of the oldest and most diverse rural organizations as an individual, go here!
 

Oprah Quote Source:

*https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/11/01/oprah_winfrey_campaigns_for_stacey_abrams_you_are_dishonoring_your_family_if_you_dont_vote.html

Important Resources for Voting Day

Find Your Polling Place:

https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/

Know Before You Go - Find Your Sample Ballot:

https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup

Need Help Getting to the Polls? No Problem!

Carpool: https://carpoolvote.com/how-it-works/

Lyft and Other Rideshare Discounts: https://www.curbed.com/2018/11/1/18052118/voting-uber-2018-election-lyft-public-transit

Trouble at the Polls? Were Your Rights Violated? Find Help Here:

The Election Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español)

The U.S. Department of Justice Voting Rights Hotline: 800-253-3931; TTY line 877-267-8971

ACLU Guide: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-when-faced-voter-intimidation

U.S. Election Assistance for Voters with Disabilities:

https://www.eac.gov/voters/resources-for-voters-with-disabilities/

“Addressing Invasive Species by Developing New Products” - Willard Tillman

Throughout the Seeds of Resilience Summit in May 2017, Mr. Tillman spoke about the advantages of innovating solutions that emerge from the farmers themselves. He also highlighted the significance of sharing knowledge among farmers. He explained that the encroachment of the red cedar on farmland in Oklahoma is a result of the systematic and long-term lack of access to conservation resources and information for Black and Native American farmers. Today the highly invasive and highly flammable red cedar threatens everyone’s land.

The Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project has worked with small farmers to create a business to remove the invasive red cedar trees, and they are looking at developing valuable products such as mulch, closet liners, boxes and furniture. This innovation also involves learning technical information such as what size of tree is needed for the mill, which trees are better for other uses, and the use of black plastic mulch to make things “less labor intensive.”

“It is also crucial to know which programs can help you [to pay for removal], but if you don’t have a conservation plan, it will come right back. And if you didn’t know you could get assistance to make a conservation plan, and you go back and ask about another program, your proposal will be marked down.”

“Once you get listed and put into the system or process at USDA, you have access. In my case, our organization started in 1998, did an assessment of people’s needs. We found out their practices and what they needed. We also looked at the challenges with USDA at that time. Receipt for service was one thing that was good.”

“We also had drought for many years. Once we addressed some of the problems, we turned to the problem of eastern red cedar. A few years ago, it was invading 700 acres/day; now it’s 852 acres/day. This presents a lot of conservation challenges—it messes up the ecology. Each tree consumes up to 20 gallons of water/day and affects the aquifer. Large farms had taken care of the issue a long time ago. [But now] it’s an issue for farms of all scales. Most of the farmers that struggled were small farmers. Red cedar was taking over their land. We’re now working with NRCS on red cedar removal. We also want a grass management plan with that.”

 It is also crucial to know which programs can help you [to pay for removal], but if you don’t have a conservation plan, it will come right back. And if you didn’t know you could get assistance to make a conservation plan, and you go back and ask about another program, your proposal will be marked down.”

“Once you get listed and put into the system or process at USDA, you have access. In my case, our organization started in 1998, did an assessment of people’s needs. We found out their practices and what they needed. We also looked at the challenges with USDA at that time. Receipt for service was one thing that was good.”

“We also had drought for many years. Once we addressed some of the problems, we turned to the problem of eastern red cedar. A few years ago, it was invading 700 acres/day; now it’s 852 acres/day. This presents a lot of conservation challenges—it messes up the ecology. Each tree consumes up to 20 gallons of water/day and affects the aquifer. Large farms had taken care of the issue a long time ago. [But now] it’s an issue for farms of all scales. Most of the farmers that struggled were small farmers. Red cedar was taking over their land. We’re now working with NRCS on red cedar removal. We also want a grass management plan with that.”

 “We are developing a plan to link up what we have, rather than what we lack. Assets are what people value. There is value in farming, you just have to know what is on your land.”

“Growing Farmers, Growing Food” Restoring Agriculture and Food Pathways in Orangeburg, SC - Ms. Georgia Good and Mr. William Booker

Ms. Georgia Good, Vice Chair of the Rural Coalition and Director of the Rural Advancement Fund (RAF) , co-presented with Mr. William Booker, RAF’s Farm Educator at the Rural Development workshop. Ms. Good explained that “intergenerational reciprocity” or responding to the simultaneous need of kids to be engaged and of young farmers to be mentored is the foundation of “Growing Farmers” projects.

Mr. Willie Booker, Rural Advancement Fund “Growing Farmers” @ Pre-Conference

Mr. Booker contextualized RAF’s emphasis on both the transfer of farming knowledge as well as the transfer of farmland to a new generation. The lack of available land is compounded by the shift to large industrial farming, and increasing corporate ownership. The historical recognized lack of access to credit for people of color, women and other marginal groups pushes farming further out of reach. RAF helps elders who own small farm holdings with “succession planning,” to enable the land to change hands. This requires clearing settling any prior heir-property issues and securing titles.  

Mr. Booker explained that RAF’s curriculum for young farmers is a “values based education,” teaching small vegetable production, money management skills, and the agricultural roots of their rural economy. He ended with a story illustrating the significance of RAF programs introducing children to the outdoors through farming. He described the amazement of a young boy, who went home with a soil-covered carrot in his pocket and a newfound knowledge of how food grows-- a potential young farmer!

Mr.. Good reminded everyone that growing farmers in one of the most impoverished communities in the US has a number of impacts well beyond increasing access to healthy food. Providing stipends for participating young farmers is integral to compounding these impacts. She concluded: “This is how we envision Food Sovereignty”

J. Chavez with Ms. Georgia Good @ the Summit i

Ms. Good reminded everyone that growing farmers in one of the most impoverished communities in the US has a number of impacts well beyond increasing access to healthy food. Providing stipends for participating young farmers is integral to compounding these impacts. She concluded: “This is how we envision food sovereignty.”

Also inducted into the SC Civil Rights Hall of Fame this year, Ms. Georgia Good is shown here with Ms. Betty Henderson when both were recognized in October 2017 for founding the Orangeburg County Consumer Health Council, and the first clinic serving the poor and people of color in Orangeburg.