News Article
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Foundation is pleased to announce that the pre-application period of the NASDA Foundation – EPA Historically Underserved Farmers Grant application period is now open. The NASDA Foundation expects to award up to 16 sub-awards to organizations in the EPA’s Ohio-Tennessee Region to help underserved farmers improve water quality, habitat resilience and information exchange to benefit Gulf of Mexico Watershed ecosystems. Awards are expected to range from $75,000 to $225,000 in total funds with a duration of up to three years. The pre-application period will run from March 1 – April 15, 2023.
The awards will be used to implement programs to prevent or reduce water pollution. The states within the Ohio-Tennessee region are Kentucky, Tennessee and portions of Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
The following organizations and groups are encouraged to apply: beginning farmer organizations, conservation districts, institutions of higher learning, local state government agencies, non-government organizations and non-profit organizations with influence on underserved farmers, tribal nations, and veteran farmer and rancher groups.
Applicants will be notified in May 2023 if they are invited to complete the full application. Successful sub-awardees will be notified in July 2023 and projects will begin in August 2023.
“It is outstanding to see the state departments of agriculture collaborating with local organizations to communicate this opportunity to underserved farm communities,” NASDA Foundation Senior Director Chris Jones said. “I am excited about the continued partnerships these grants will help foster, the improvement of the Gulf of Mexico Watershed ecosystem, and the impact these projects will have on future generations.”
For more information, please visit nasda.org/epa. Technical assistance questions can be directed to the NASDA Foundation at epagrants@nasda.org or (571) 418-6426.
Background:
The NASDA Foundation was awarded $3 million in cooperative agreement funding by the EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Division. The purpose of the cooperative agreement is to assist underserved farmers protect and improve water quality and habitat while also providing benefits for climate mitigation and adaptation.
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The NASDA Foundation is the only educational and research organization that directly serves the nation’s state departments of agriculture. The NASDA Foundation’s mission is to enhance American food and agricultural communities through education, outreach and research. The NASDA Foundation works with states to nourish people and communities while serving as the stewards of the environment and public trust. To learn more about the NASDA Foundation, please visit nasda.org/nasda-foundation/.
