Farm Scoop – October 2019
Legacy Planning for Farmers
SCORE Maine and Mass Mutual are presenting a workshop on November 21st in Augusta. This free workshop is to help farmers plan exit and retirement strategies while preserving the business they have built. For more information and to register.
Interested in Growing Your Business?
CEI has developed a collection of resources designed to help accelerate the growth of 3-5 businesses in our next round of the Tastemakers initiative – learn how to apply to be in the 2020 Tastemakers cohort. For more information visit the announcement page here.
MOFGA Technical Assistance Grant
MOFGA is now accepting applications to their technical assistance grant. The application period is now open for certified organic businesses to apply for up to $2,000 in funds for technical assistance. Apply here! Please note: this grant is NO LONGER limited to businesses focused on wholesale markets, it is now also open to direct-marketing businesses. The deadline to apply is Sunday, November 17th at 11:59pm.
Farmland Access and Transfer Conference
The registration for the Farmland Access and Transfer Conference on November 18 is now open. This conference is being co-hosted by Maine Farmland Trust and Land For Good, and is being made possible thanks to the sponsorship by and presentations from many BFRN organizations. Register here for the Farmland Access and Conference.
2020 AgrAbility National Training Workshop Farmer Stipends
The vision of AgrAbility is to enhance quality of life for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers with disabilities. AgrAbility will be holding its 2020 National Training Workshop (NTW) March 23-26 in Madison, Wisconsin. This is the premier training event for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers impacted by disability and for professionals working with them (www.agrability.org).
The National AgrAbility Project (NAP) has a limited number of stipends available for farmers/ranchers with disabilities and their caregivers. To apply for a travel stipend, applicants should do the following:
- Fill out the application form online at Farmer Stipend Form Online OR send the attached stipend application to me, Chuck Baldwin, via mail, email, or fax as explained on the form.
- All applications must be submitted by December 20, 2019
2019 Farmland Access & Transfer Conference
Maine Farmland Trust & Land For Good are pleased to present the 5th Annual Farmland Access and Transfer Conference! Last year’s conference drew over 130 farmers, policymakers, service providers and advocates and featured storytelling, skill-building workshops, and thoughtful discussion around farmland access and transfer challenges and successes. For more information on the conference or to register please visit MFT.
2020 Enrollment for Dairy Margin Coverage Program
Dairy producers can now enroll in the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) for calendar year
2020. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) opened signup today for the program that helps producers manage economic
risk brought on by milk price and feed cost disparities. For more information on enrolling in DMC and taking advantage of an online dairy decision tool that assists producers in selecting coverage for 2020, visit the DMC webpage.
Educate2Cultivate Fall Symposium
Please join the University of Maine Cooperative Extension AgrAbility Program and United Farmer Veterans of Maine in our inaugural Educate2Cultivate Fall symposium on Saturday, 26 October 2019, from 9 am to 3 pm at the Augusta Armory. You will have the opportunity to partner with business mentors and learn about several assistive technologies to help with making your agricultural business safe and successful. Space is limited, so sign up now to secure your spot. A locally-source lunch is included in the $20 registration fee. To learn more and to register, visit https://extension.umaine.edu/agrability/e2c/
VT Agency of Agriculture & VT Farm to Plate
Retail Seminar on October 29th & 30th with two nationally known retail consultants in Norwich Vermont. This 2 day seminar is designed so that each day works as ‘stand alone’; if one attends both days there is double the content! It has been designed for all retail food stores, full-service farm-stores, technical advisers and even independent distributors.
Woman owned or operated livestock business in New England
If you are a woman owned or operated livestock business in New England, please take a moment to participate in this survey. UNH Cooperative Extension, in partnership with Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, is conducting a women livestock producer survey for the next two months. The results of this survey will be used to gather information on programmatic needs to fund a New England-wide educational program for women livestock business operators. To participate, please click the following link https://unh.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9ubyGHUJ3pSI5Yp. If you have any questions, please contact Elaina Enzien at Elaina.enzien@unh.edu.
Rural Energy for America Program
The Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) for the 2020 Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) will not be published until October 2019. However, that does not change the deadlines for the applications. Application deadlines are as follows:
Renewable Energy Systems (RES) and Energy Efficiency Improvements (EEI) Grants of $20,000 or less: October 31, 2019 and March 31, 2020.
RES and EEI Grants over $20,000: March 31, 2020.
The RES and EEI grants are open to rural small businesses and agricultural producers only. The requirements for REAP can be found at 7 CFR 4280 Subpart B.
Applications are accepted at any time and will compete in the first round it is eligible for. If you are interested in the RES or EEI grants please contact Cheryl Pelletier, State Energy Coordinator, at cheryl.pelletier@usda.gov or (207) 760-4607.