It’s Not only Commodities: Tapping the 2002 Farm Bill for
Agriculture
and
Conservation Funding Opportunities
With the help of many partners in the Northwest, the Center for
Rural
Affairs recently received a grant from the Bullitt Foundation
to hold
Farm
Bill outreach workshops in each of the states of Idaho, Oregon
and
Washington.
Established in 1973, the Center for Rural Affairs is a private,
non-profit
organization working to strengthen small businesses, family
farms and
ranches, and rural communities through action oriented programs
addressing
social, economic, and environmental issues.
The Federal Farm Bill signed into law May 13, 2002 brings new
funding
opportunities over the next five years to individual farmers
and
ranchers,
from both inside and outside the traditional commodity programs,
who are
interested in tapping new markets, applying new management and
conservation
practices that reduce costs and increase profitability while
also
stewarding
land, soil, water and fish and wildlife habitat.
New funding opportunities for agriculture and environment non-profit,
farmers market, farmland preservation, organic, rural development,
cooperative development and other organizations also exist in
the new
Farm
Bill.
But, you ask, how do I find out about the programs I’m most interested
in
without shuffling through piles of paper, or websites?
When does the
rubber
really hit the road as far as funding? How do I strengthen
my abilities
to
tap into new and existing federal resources? The workshops
are being
planned in an interactive discussion style and will build and
enhance
your
capacity to navigate federal farm opportunities, increase your
awareness
about how Farm Bill programs are implemented -and how you can
provide
input
to shape and improve programs. You will also learn about
examples and
models from successful projects funded in other states and regions.
The attached training needs survey will help workshop organizers
plan
for
content that is most helpful to you, your membership/colleagues
and
clients.
Please fill out this survey and return to Kim Leval by January
28th or
earlier. Thank you for your assistance!
The Farm Bill Workshop Schedule is outlined below. Please
mark your
calendars. Call or email Kim Leval to register or for
more information.
*************************************************
1. CONFIRMED Friday, January 31st - Western SAWG meeting
9 to 11am Best
Western University Inn, Moscow, Idaho for more information about
the
full
conference or to register go to www.westernsawg.org.
Friday, January 31st Best Western University Inn,1516 Pullman
Road
Moscow
Idaho
For those of you traveling to the Western Sustainable Agriculture
Working
Group meeting January 31-February 2nd I invite you to join me
for an
interactive farm bill workshop on Friday, January 31st from
9 to 11am at
the
Best Western University Inn. A light breakfast will be
provided. This
session will focus on Farm Bill basics and programs not covered
in the
larger WSAWG conference. We will concentrate on the nuts
and bolts
(eligibility, how to strengthen your proposals, providing public
comment
on
proposed rules) of the value added grants program, organic cost-share,
Farmers Market Nutrition Program, new organic research money
and other
programs of interest to participants.
Also, I've booked a room at the WSAWG conference for the Northwest
Regional
group to gather, socialize and network on happenings in Idaho,
Oregon
and
Washington. I've reserved the Appaloosa Room from 5:30
to 7:00pm on
January
31st. Come and mingle and bring your friends.
2. CONFIRMED Tuesday, February 11th 6 to 9pm at the Centre
on the
Grove,
850 Front Street, Boise, Idaho - in conjunction with the
Harvesting
Clean
Energy/Idaho Ag summit - Boise, ID To register for the
full conference
or
for more information go to http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org
3. CONFIRMED Thursday, February 13 times to be announced-
Watershed
Science
Conference and NWSEED WA State Renewable Energy Portfolio meeting
-
Walla
Walla, WA - Whitmann College
4. CONFIRMED Friday, February 14th - WSU Puyallup
Research and
Extension
Station 12 to 4 Puyallup Room - Puyallup, WA 7612 Pioneer Way
East - in
collaboration with the Washington Farmers Market Vendor workshop
through
Vance Corum, WSU Small Farms Program
5. CONFIRMED Saturday Feb. 15th - 1:00 - 1:30
p.m. It’s Not Only
Commodities Anymore: Mining the 2002 Farm Bill for New
Funding
Opportunities presented at the Farmers Market Vendor workshop
on federal
funding opportunity related to farmers marketing at farmers
markets
6. CONFIRMED Saturday, March 1st - Farm Bill workshop from
6pm to
7:30pm at
the Valley River Inn, Eugene, OR - following a reception
after the main
conference In coordination with the Farmer Direct Marketing
Conference.
Community and Policy will be one of the tracks at the Direct
Marketing
Conference. The final panel of the day from 3:15 to 4:45
is titled
"Exploring Federal and State Funding Opportunities for Your
Marketing
Endeavors" The evening Farm Bill session will expand on
topics covered
in
this afternoon panel. For more information or to register
for this
conference go to http://smallfarms.orst.edu information will
be posted
soon.
7. March 28th/29th - Building a Local Food System conference
hosted by
NCAP/Idaho Organic Association - Twin Falls, ID - day and time
to be
announced
****PLEASE NOTE: NEW ADDRESS******
Kim Leval - Senior Policy Analyst
Federal Agriculture Policy
Center for Rural Affairs AND Interim Executive Director
Consortium for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
(CSARE)
340 Polk Street
Eugene, Oregon 97402
ph: 541-687-1490
fax: 541-686-1380
cell: 541-579-5324
email: kimleval@qwest.net
center web: www.cfra.org
CSARE web: www.csare.org