LITTLE ROCK
— Trainers with the Cooperative Extension Service will be conducting a series
of grant-writing workshops around Arkansas to help potential applicants
navigate the federal grant application program for the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program.
The program
is being offered through Cooperative Extension Service offices in every state.
In Arkansas, state trainers Stacey McCullough, director of the University of
Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Public Policy Center, and Iris Crosby, an
extension associate with University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, will lead five
workshops in April.
Cooperative
Extension Service offices in Hempstead, Craighead, Washington, Lee and
Jefferson counties are partnering with the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing
Service and National Institute for Food and Agriculture to conduct five workshops
in April. This effort is known as the Agricultural
Marketing Service Technical Assistance (AMSTA) Project.
The current
schedule of workshops includes:
April 13: Hope. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the
University of Arkansas Community College at Hope, 2500 S. Main St. The workshop
will be held in Hempstead Hall. Lunch will be included.
Register
at: https://uaex.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Xt9kpEM4eVZEIB
April 14: Jonesboro. 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. at
the Craighead County Cooperative Extension Service Office, located at 611 E.
Washington Ave., Ste. A.
Register
at: https://uaex.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7Qf0b3In7sLEV8h
April 16: Fayetteville. 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
in the University of Arkansas Food and Science Dept., rooms D1 and D2, at 2650
N. Young Ave.
Register
at: https://uaex.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5aNzv9QpNHps0pD
Also on April 16: Marianna. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the
UAPB Agri Demonstration & Outreach Center at 330 Lee County Rd. 407. Lunch
will be provided.
April 28: Pine Bluff. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on the
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Campus, in the auditorium of the 1890
Extension Building. Lunch will be provided.
Agricultural
Marketing Service administrator Anne Alonzo said the programs are key
components of the USDA’s efforts to revitalize rural economies by supporting
local and regional food systems.
“The grant
workshops will ensure that more communities and businesses across the country
can participate in the competitive grant process with proposals that create
real economic opportunities and help meet the growing demand for locally and
regionally produced food,” Alonzo said.
“These interactive workshops
will help participants think through development of their project ideas and
incorporate successful writing strategies into their grant proposals,”
McCullough said.
With $30
million authorized annually by the 2014 Farm Bill through fiscal year 2018,
AMS's Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program awards competitive grants
to develop new local and regional markets. The Farmers
Market Promotion Program supports farmers markets and other direct producer-to-consumer
activities, while the Local Food Promotion Program supports enterprises that
aggregate, store, distribute and process local and regional food.
These
investments are part of USDA's commitment to strengthening local and regional
food systems through projects that recruit and train farmers, expand economic
opportunities, and increase access to healthy foods. USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative (KYF2) coordinates USDA's support
for local and regional food systems. Projects aligned with these efforts can be
found on the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass. For more information on
AMS visit www.ams.usda.gov, and for more on NIFA visit www.nifa.usda.gov.
For further
information on upcoming workshops, contact Stacey McCullough at smccullough@uaex.edu or by calling (501)-671-2078; or Iris
Crosby at adoc@uapb.edu
or by calling (870)‐295‐3199.
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal
access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation
to participate or need materials in another format, please contact your County
Extension office (or other appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711
for Arkansas Relay.
The
Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible
persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity,
sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or
veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected
status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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