Do You Know a Beginning or Underserved Farmer in Need of Assistance?

The National Association of RC&D Councils would like to give the opportunity for councils for a sub-grant. We would love to hear your overall goals, priorities and action plan for the project.

SUMMARY
The National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils (NARCD&C) is seeking to contract an RC&D Council for services to provide training and support implementation of Farm Bill programs for Beginning and Underserved Farmers through a grant agreement funded by USDA-NRCS. Applicant council must be in good membership standing with NARC&DC. Councils with USDA agencies, outreach programs expertise, or with a history of working collaboratively with conservation groups are encouraged to apply. 

TIMELINE & BUDGET
A contract with the successful RC&D Council to commence on or about March 1, 2022, with all project tasks to conclude by November 30, 2023. A total of a $8,000.00 is available for each Council to complete project deliverables detailed below, monitoring progress, and submitting reports. 

MATCH REQUIREMENT
This project requires a minimum 1:1 match. Council match can be cash or in-kind contributions of labor and other resources. Total project budget will be $16,000.00, with $8,000.00 coming from grant funds and at least $8,000.00 provided by grant recipient. 

OVERALL PROJECT GOALS
Broad goals of this project are for local Councils to provide mentorship and training for beginning and underserved farmers. Grant recipients will provide training on entry points for increased participation in Farm Bill Programs. Preferred projects will serve beginning farmers and underserved / under-represented populations, with a secondary emphasis on projects focused on soil health, urban agriculture, and direct market access. 

SPECIFIC GOALS OF BEGINNING AND UNDERSERVED FARMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: 

Council Duties: 

  • Provide training and implementation of Farm Bill programs to beginning and underserved farmers.
  • A minimum of 10 new / underserved farmers are assisted.
  • Develop and publish project profile (1-pager) highlighting Farm Bill and conservation program opportunities for new farmers and underserved / under-represented populations.
  • Oversee the implementation of all project deliverables. 
  • Project Lead will participate in NARCDC webinar regarding the Beginning and Underserved Farmer Assistance Program. 
  • Compile narrative, financial and other requested reports for submission to the Project Manager.

QUALIFICATIONS: The successful RC&D council should meet the following qualifications: 

  • Must be in good standing with NARC&DC (Dues Paying Member). 
  • Must be a tax-exempt organization that is eligible to receive federal grant funds.
  • Have experience working with multiple entities to facilitate and encourage the exchange of ideas and successfully move individual entities and the group of entities toward implementation of ideas and projects.
  • Have demonstrated experience working with new and underserved farmers.                                                                        
  • Have either an already established relationship or ability to facilitate ongoing communication with NRCS or other USDA related agency 

SUGGESTED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: 

• Resume of proposed project lead
• List of proposed collaborative partners and organizations you will be working with
• Brief outline of action plan
• Detailed Budget 
• Letters of support from previous partners 

Apply here!

SUBMIT APPLICATION BY 11:59PM EST February 18th, 2022
Application must be submitted online through the NARCDC website.

FOR MORE INFORMATION – email NARCDC at mail@narcdc.org