[Federal Register: April 14, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 70)]
[Notices]
[Page 17146-17147]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14ap09-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
Notice of Funding Availability for the Beginning Farmer and
Rancher Development Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009
AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice of funding availability.
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SUMMARY: The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service (CSREES) is announcing the release of the FY 2009 Beginning
Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) Request for Applications
(RFA) via Grants.gov.
DATES: The FY 2009 Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program RFA
(BFRDP) was posted to Grants.gov on Friday, March 13, 2009, and
applications are due via Grants.gov by Monday, May 13, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Siva Sureshwaran, 202-720-7536
(phone), 202-401-6070 (fax), or ssureshwaran@csrees.usda.gov. Janie
Simms Hipp, 202-720-3605 (phone), 202-690-3162 (fax), or
jhipp@csrees.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background and Purpose
Section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
(Pub. L. 107-171) (7 U.S.C. 3319f) as amended by the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246), directs the
Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to establish a Beginning Farmer
and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). The authority to carry out the
BFRDP has been delegated to CSREES through the Under Secretary for
Research, Education, and Economics. The Secretary is authorized to make
competitive grants to support new and established local and regional
training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives
that address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers (Standard
BFRDP Projects). Grants for Standard BFRDP Projects will be awarded to
address needs of beginning farmers and ranchers in the following
priority areas: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internship activities;
resources and referral; assisting beginning farmers or ranchers in
understanding how to acquire land from retiring farmers and ranchers;
innovative farm and ranch transfer strategies; entrepreneurship and
business training; model land leasing contracts; financial management
training; whole farm planning; conservation assistance; risk management
education; diversification and marketing strategies; curriculum
development; understanding the impact of concentration and
globalization; basic livestock and crop farming practices, forestry and
range management; acquisition and management of agricultural credit;
environmental compliance; information processing; and other similar
subject areas of use to beginning farmers and ranchers. The Secretary
is also directed to establish beginning farmer and rancher education
teams to develop curricula and conduct educational programs and
workshops for beginning farmers and ranchers in diverse geographical
areas in the United States (Educational Enhancement Projects).
The FY 2009 BFRDP RFA is soliciting grant applications for Standard
BFRDP Projects and Educational Enhancement Projects discussed above. In
addition, the RFA is soliciting a project application to establish an
Online clearinghouse that makes available to beginning farmers or
ranchers education curricula and training materials and programs, which
may include Online courses for direct use by beginning farmers or
ranchers. This award will be made as a cooperative agreement.
The Secretary may make awards to a collaborative State, tribal,
local or regionally-based network or partnership of public or private
entities, which may include: A State cooperative extension service; a
Federal, State, or tribal agency; a community-based and nongovernmental
organization; a college or university (including a junior college
awarding an associate's degree) or foundation maintained by a college
or university; private for-profit organizations; or any other
appropriate partner, as determined by the Secretary.
All applicants are required to provide funds or in-kind support
from non-Federal sources in an amount that is at least equal to 25
percent of the Federal funds requested.
In making BFRDP awards, priority will be given to partnerships and
collaborations that are led by or include nongovernmental and
community-based organizations with expertise in new agricultural
producer training and outreach.
The estimated amount available for support of this program in FY
2009 is $17,280,000. The eligibility criteria for projects and
applicants, and the application forms and associated instructions
needed to apply for a BFRDP award, can be accessed through
[[Page 17147]]
the Grants.gov Web site and http://www.grants.gov.
Done at Washington, DC, this 9th day of April 2009.
Colien Hefferan,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service.
[FR Doc. E9-8543 Filed 4-13-09; 8:45 am]