[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9212-9213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-4384]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Healthy
Urban Food Enterprise Development Center Program
AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Request for stakeholder input.
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SUMMARY: The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service (CSREES) is implementing a new competitive grants program
called the Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center Program
(the Center) authorized by 7 U.S.C. 2034(h). By this notice, CSREES is
soliciting public comments and stakeholder input from persons who use
or conduct research, extension or education, training, outreach and
technical assistance regarding the development of competitive Requests
for Applications (RFAs) and implementing regulations.
DATES: All written comments must be received by April 2, 2009.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by CSREES-2008-0005, by
any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: [email protected]. Include CSREES-2008-0005 in
the subject line of the message.
Fax: (202) 401-1782.
Mail: Paper, disk or CD-ROM submissions should be submitted to: Liz
Tuckermanty; Competitive Program (CP) Unit; Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Mail
Stop 2201; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.; Washington, DC 20250-2201.
Hand Delivery/Courier: Liz Tuckermanty; Competitive Programs (CP) Unit;
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; U.S.
Department of Agriculture; Room 2340; Waterfront Centre; 800 9th
Street, SW.; Washington, DC 20024.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the title ``The
Center'' and CSREES-2008-0005. All comments received will be posted to
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Liz Tuckermanty, (202) 205-0241
(phone), (202) 401-1782 (fax), or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background and Purpose
The purpose of the Center is to increase access to healthy
affordable foods to underserved communities. The Center will also
collect, develop, and provide technical assistance and information to
small and medium-sized agricultural producers, food wholesalers and
retailers, schools, and other individuals and entities regarding best
practices and the availability of assistance for aggregating, storing,
processing, and marketing locally produced agricultural products and
increasing the availability of such products in underserved
communities.
Through a grant to a non-profit entity, sub-grants will be used to
carry out feasibility studies to establish businesses to increase
access to healthy affordable foods, including locally produced
agricultural products, to underserved communities and establish and
otherwise assist enterprises that process, distribute, aggregate,
store, and market healthy affordable foods.
Sub-grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations;
cooperatives, commercial entities, agricultural producers, academic
institutions, individuals and other entities as the Secretary of
Agriculture may designate.
In FY 2009, it is anticipated that one million dollars in funding
will be available and priority will be given to applications that:
1. Benefit underserved communities (as defined by 7 U.S.C. Sec.
2034); and
2. Develop market opportunities for small and mid-sized farm and
ranch operations.
[[Page 9213]]
Reporting requirement for funded projects include a report to the
Secretary describing the activities carried out in the preceding fiscal
year, including, but not limited to, a description of technical
assistance provided by the Center; the total number and a description
of the sub-grants provided; a complete listing of cases in which the
activities of the Center have resulted in increased access to healthy,
affordable foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, particularly for
school-aged children and individuals in low income communities; and a
determination of whether the activities identified are sustained during
the years following the initial provision of technical assistance and
sub-grants.
Additional Supplementary Information
It is anticipated that the competitive RFA will request
applications within 60 days of issue. Proposals will be accepted
through Grants.gov. All proposals meeting requirements of the RFA will
be peer reviewed in a CSREES competitive process with one single award
for approximately 1 million dollars (less administrative costs). It is
anticipated that this will be a continuation award with the potential
for three years of funding. A continuation is an award instrument by
which the CSREES agrees to support a specified level of effort for a
predetermined period of time with a statement of intention to provide
additional support at a future date, provided that performance has been
satisfactory, appropriations are available for this purpose, and
continued support would be in the best interest for the Federal
government and the public.
Implementation Plans
CSREES plans to consider stakeholder input received from written
comments in developing competitive RFAs and implementing regulations
for this program. CSREES anticipates releasing a RFA for fiscal year
2009 funds by April 2009.
Done at Washington, DC, this 25th day of February 2009.
Colien Hefferan,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service.
[FR Doc. E9-4384 Filed 3-2-09; 8:45 am]
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