Nationwide Survey of Urban and Peri-Urban Farms
A national study led by New York University, The Pennsylvania State University, and the National Center for Appropriate Technology (ATTRA) are seeking urban and peri-urban farmers to take part in an online survey. The study seeks to examine the state of urban and peri-urban farming in the United States, including the: (1) technical assistance and information needs on the part of urban farms that can be met through outreach programs; (2) production, management, and marketing risks for urban farms and the development of programs to address those risks; and (3) increased awareness on the part of policymakers and communities of the benefits of urban farming. A national outreach and technical assistance program will be developed based on the results of this research.
The online survey for farmers (not in Philadelphia) should take approximately 20 minutes to complete and can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/urbanfarms. Because of the importance of this project, by completing the survey, respondents (farmers) will qualify for a drawing to win one of 10 gift cards worth $75. If you would prefer to complete a paper version of the survey or have any questions, contact Lydia Oberholtzer, Penn State, at 301-891-0470 or lso3@psu.edu.
Seeking Applications for Sustainable Agriculture Search for Excellence Award
The National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) is now accepting applications for the 2013 Search for Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture award, which recognizes outstanding educational programs in sustainable agriculture. The award comes with a $500 honorarium and a requirement to present during the NACAA Annual Meeting/Professional Improvement Conference*. All NACAA members in good standing with their state associations are eligible to apply.
Applications for the 2013 Search for Excellence award are due March 15. The award, open to individuals and teams, recognizes one winner from each of SARE's four geographic regions. All NACAA members in good standing with their state associations are eligible to apply. In the case of team entries, all team members need not be a current member of NACAA. Find complete application information online.
*The Florida SARE program will offer a scholarship to sponsor the required travel to the NACAA Annual Meeting for any Florida Extension faculty member selected for this award.
Opportunity: FoodCorps is Recruiting for Next Class –Apply by March 24!
Now is your chance to become part of the FoodCorps movement! FoodCorps is currently recruiting for their next class and they are looking for 130 leaders who are interested in fighting childhood obesity. FoodCorps is involved in amazing work on the child nutrition scene through their “3 ingredient recipe for change” which includes: teaching children about healthy food and where it comes from, growing school gardens, and setting up farm to school programs. If becoming a service member is of interest to you, click here to learn more about how to apply. FoodCorps is currently in 12 states, but may expand into 3 more next year. If you are interested in learning about host site eligibility, click here.
Webinars
On-Farm Food Safety and Access to Larger Markets
Thursday, February 21, 3:30pm ET
Free! Register Now
Join the National Good Food Network for a webinar on news and analysis of the latest Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA) guidelines released for comment from FDA, the work the Wallace Center NGFN has been doing to support the development of a USDA group GAP audit protocol, and more.
USDA Farm to School Grants
A series of webinars will be offered to assist eligible entities applying for one of the USDA Farm to School Grants in preparing proposals:
· March 5, 2013, 1:00 EST – Planning Grants
· March 6, 2013, 1:00 EST – Implementation Grants
· March 7, 2013, 1:00 EST – Support Service Grants
More information on these grants can be found below under “Funding Opportunities”.
Resources
Building a Better System with No-Till and Cover Crops
SARE grants enable research to develop tools for farmers. The “roll crimper” is discussed in this SARE highlight. The tool is a drum with blades mounted to the front- or back-end of a tractor that is used to roll down, crimp, and kill cover crops, creating thick, weed suppressing mulch. Many SARE grants focus on the use of cover crops and conservation tillage methods. Join the conversation and access all the resources SARE has on this topic by visiting the Cover Crops Topic Room.
Conferences & Workshops
Donate/Sell Product to the 2013 Florida Small Farms Conference!
Each year participants of the Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference enjoy product provided by Florida farmers. Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your products! The conference will be held August 2-4, 2013 at the Osceola Heritage Park Conference Center in Kissimmee, Florida. For more information about how to supply your product for this conference see the attached information. Note: In order to be considered you must complete the instructions outlined in the attachment by March 15. Information received after that date will be considered for the 2014 conference.
American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control
May 20-22, 2013
Fort Valley State University, GA
The American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control invites you to participate in its 10th Integrated Parasite Management Train-the-Trainer Symposium at the Fort Valley State University. This conference will educate stakeholders in the small ruminant industry on the most up-to-date methods and recommendations for parasite control as well as provide training and certification in integrated pest management. For further details, and to register, please visit us as www.fvsu.edu/acsrpc_registration.
Registration Information:
· Two-Day Conference: May 20-21 = $250 ($300 after May 1)
· One-Day Conference: May 22 = $125 ($150 after May 1)
Contact Dr. Thomas T. Terrill, ACSRPC Coordinator for more information: terrillt@fvsu.edu; (478) 825-6814.
2nd Vegetable and Small Fruit Protected Ag Field Day
March 12, 2013, 8am – 4pm
UF/IFAS, Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Wimauma, FL
This is a free event, but spaces are very limited. To attend you need to register online. To register go to: http://protectedagfieldday-es2001.eventbrite.com/?rank=1. There will be local and invited speakers in the morning and a field tour in the afternoon. Lunch will be provided. This program seeks to present the latest research efforts on protected culture of tomato, pepper, strawberry, blackberry, and herbs using international and local speakers who will show their experiences on protected culture of vegetables and small fruit crops. A detailed agenda can be found on the registration page using the link above.
3rd Annual Organic Conference
March 1-2, 2013
Berea, KY
Visit their website: http://oak-ky.org/ for more information.
4th Annual Sustainable Living Conference and Mississippi Food Summit
March 1-3, 2013
Oxford, MS
Visit their website: http://www.ggsim.org/ for more information.
South Carolina Organic Growing Conference
March 2, 2013
Columbia, S.C.
Visit their website: http://www.scorganicliving.com/2013_Conference.html for more information.
Southern University 3rd Louisiana Small Farmer Conference
March 14-16, 2013
Baton Rouge, LA
Visit their website: http://www.suagcenter.com/LAsmallfarmconf2013/index.html for more information.
Agroecology Symposium: “Food Security and the Next Green Revolution”
March 4, 2013
Florida International University
This one day symposium will feature sessions from Michael Dimock, president of Roots of Change, Charles LaPradd, Miami-Dade County Agricultural Manager and Farmer, as well as presentations from current agroecology students at Florida International University.
Farm to School In-Service Training
March 13-15, 2013
Gainesville, FL
The Florida Farm to School team is excited to announce their Spring In-Service Training March 13-15, 2013 in Gainesville, FL. This three-day training will allow agents to enhance or begin Farm to School efforts in their programming. If you are a faculty member who is actively working with farms and/or schools in our state, this is the training for you. Total attendance caps at 75, and includes some meals and refreshments. In addition a limited number of agents will receive funding to support their lodging and per diem expenses during the training, so an early RSVP is key! Priority for lodging and per diem will be given to agents who will participate for the full 3 days, as they will be best prepared with new skills to cross-train clientele (farmers, school food authorities, teachers, parents) in their county/region. RSVP's are due no later than February 14, 2013. Notification for spots/funding will be sent February 15th. You can find the training on PDEC by searching: Florida Farm to School: Sourcing Local/Serving in Smarter Lunchrooms – IST #30665.
Graduate Student Grant Writing Workshop
April 4 & 11; 5:30 – 7:30pm
McCarty Hall D, room 1031 A/B or via Polycom
This two part hands-on workshop sponsored by the Florida Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program is open to any graduate student interested in improving their grant proposal writing skills. Dr. Mickie Swisher of the Family, Youth, and Community Sciences department will discuss the keys to writing a successful grant proposal. Students will have the opportunity to work on their own proposals at the workshop as well. Each session of the workshop will cover different aspects of proposal writing –everything from literature reviews to budgeting will be discussed, so students should plan to attend both sessions if possible. Students from any department are encouraged to attend –polycom will be available for those not located on UF’s main campus or from another university. This workshop is free to all graduate students. To register for this workshop please go to http://gradstudentgrantwriting.eventbrite.com/. See the Southern SARE funding opportunity for graduate students described below.
Beekeeping in the Panhandle
March 4, 11
Leon County Extension Center or Interactive Video at Select Locations
A four-session course will be offered by UF/IFAS Extension in Leon county. If you are not in Leon County you can also register to participate via interactive video at your local county extension office. See the attached flyer for a list of locations. The course has four sessions on consecutive Monday nights, 6:30-9:00pm, starting February 18, ending March 11. Session at the Leon County Extension Center will begin promptly at 6:30pm. The instructor is UF/IFAS Extension Apiculture Specialist Dr. Jamie Ellis. Hose is Extension Agent Will Sheftall. Apalachee Beekeeping Association President Bob Livingston will be doing Beekeeping Q&A at the beginning of each class, 6:30 – 7:00pm. Cost for the series is $25/person or $40 for a family. Fee covers course materials and refreshments. To register for “Beekeeping in the Panhandle 2013” at the Leon County site, please go to: http://leonbeekeeping2013.eventbrite.com/.
· March 4 – IPM for Disease/Pest Control
· March 11 – History and Theory of Honey Production
Introduction to Beekeeping
February 23, 8:00am – 4:00pm
Leon County Extension Center
This one-day short course is offered by the Apalachee Beekeepers Association and will be held at the Leon County Extension Center. The ABA’s shortcourse provides opportunity for participants to rotate through a series of outdoor hands-on demonstration stations, which introduce the basics of successfully caring for a honeybee colony. Sessions include: hive assembly, nutrition, forage, bee health, open hives demonstration, tools and safety, management, pests and integrated pest management. Registration is limited to 100 attendees. Cost is $50 ($35 for ABA members), and just $25 for attendees 14 years or younger when accompanied by an adult attendee. To download a registration form, or to register and pay on-line, go to: https://sites.google.com/site/apalacheebee/.
Landscape and Vegetable Garden Soils Lab Open House
March 16, 11:00am – 3:00pm
Soil Testing Lab –Gainesville, FL
Come visit the UF/IFAS Extension Soils Lab at the University of Florida Gainesville campus for FREE soil pH testing and receive expert advice from IFAS professionals. Please bring at least ½ cup of representative soil sample from the top 6 inches. Topics include: soil and nutrition management, lawn information from the Urban turfgrass program, Florida Friendly Landscaping, organic and sustainable vegetable production, Master Gardeners, plant disease clinic, and nematode assay clinic. Refreshments will be served. See the attached flyer for more information.
Funding Opportunities
USDA New Microloan Program for Small Farmers, Veterans, and Disadvantage Producers
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) created a new micro-loan program geared towards helping small and family operations and beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers by supporting progress through start-up years. The program will provide secure loans under $35,000 and is said to have a simplified application process that is less burdensome than traditional farm loans. Producers can apply for up to $35,000 to pay for start-up expenses such as hoop houses to extend the growing season, tools, irrigation, delivery vehicles, and annual expenses like seed, fertilizer, utilities, land rents, marketing and distributing. Producers interested in applying for these loans should contact their local Farm Service Agency Office. To learn more about the microloan program, click here.
USDA Farm to School Grants for FY 2014
The request for applications (RFA) for the latest round of USDA’s Farm to School grants has been released! These grants help eligible schools improve the health and wellbeing of their students and connect with local agricultural producers. Three different kinds of grants will be available. Planning grants are intended for schools just getting started on farm to school activities. Implementation grants are available for schools seeking to augment or expand existing efforts. Support Service grants are also available for eligible non-profit entities, Indian tribal organizations, state and local agencies, and agriculture producers or groups of producers to conduct trainings, create complementary curriculum, or further develop supply chains, among other activities. Proposals are due at midnight EST, April 24, 2013. A series of webinars will be offered to assist eligible entities in preparing proposals:
· March 5, 2013, 1:00 EST – Planning Grants
· March 6, 2013, 1:00 EST – Implementation Grants
· March 7, 2013, 1:00 EST – Support Service Grants
For more information and to view the RFA please visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/f2s/f2_2013_grant_program.htm.
NIFA Grant Opportunities
Information about all of the grants listed below can be found by visiting www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/funding.cfm.
Small Business Innovation Research Program –Phase II, Due 2/28/13
1890 Capacity, Due 3/5/13
Higher Education Challenge, Due 2/8/13
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education, Due 2/11/13
1890 Facilities, Due 2/11/13
FP: Agriculture Systems and Technology, AFRI, Due 2/13/13
Tribal Colleges Research, Due 2/14/13
Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program, Due 2/15/13
FP: Plant Health and Production and Plant Products, AFRI, Due 2/19/13
Children, Youth, Families: Sustainable Community Projects, Due 2/20/13
FP: Renewable Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment, AFRI, 2/21/13
Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy, Due 2/25/13
Distance Education, Due 3/1/13
Fellowships Grant Program, AFRI, Due 3/14/13
Sustainable Bioenergy, AFRI, Due 4/3/13
Climate Variability and Change, AFRI, Due 4/15/13
Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities, AFRI, Due 5/22/13
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Due 5/22/13
Foundational Program, AFRI, Due 5/22/13
SARE Grants to be released soon! Be prepared!
Southern SARE will release the Calls for Proposals for the Research & Education, Professional Development Program, and Graduate Student Grant Programs in March –start planning your proposal today! Proposals take a lot of time and energy to write and require the applicant show collaboration with multiple partners, don’t wait to plan your proposal until it’s too late! Information about these grants and eligibility requirements can be found by visiting www.southernsare.org/grants/grant-deadlines. Previous year’s calls for proposals are available for your to view. SARE also offers information on writing a successful grant: http://www.southernsare.org/Grants/Writing-a-Successful-Grant. A graduate student grant writing workshop will be offered April 4 & April 11 from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Register at http://gradstudentgrantwriting.eventbrite.com/#.
Kelly Monaghan
Center for Sustainable and Organic Food Systems
Program Assistant, Florida SARE Program, UF/FAMU
3031 Mc Carty Hall D, PO Box 110310, Gainesville, FL 32611
Ph:(352)273-3508; Fax: (352)392-8196
kmon913@ufl.edu; www.southernsare.org/florida
Please note: My schedule is Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
I will respond to phone calls and emails during this time only.
