ACECharleston - Write a Grant That's Perfect for Your Communications Department
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The document outlines the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which supports U.S. farmers growing fruits, vegetables, and nuts, providing funding for various projects aimed at enhancing competitiveness in the agricultural market. It details eligibility, funding allocation, project priorities, and a proposed initiative to use specialty crops to promote farmers' markets in Mississippi, highlighting partnerships and budget estimates for outreach activities. Ultimately, it aims for measurable outcomes such as increased farmers' market participation and website traffic.
ACECharleston - Write a Grant That's Perfect for Your Communications Department
- 1. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Write a Grant That’s Perfect for Your Communications Department Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 2. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program What is a specialty crop? •Fruits (cultivated, not wild) •Vegetables (not row crops) •Tree nuts •Dried fruits •Horticulture (aesthetics, food, medicine) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 3. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Purpose of USDA program: Help farmers who raise fruits, vegetables, and nuts with improved training, infrastructure, and marketing Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 4. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Background: •USDA grant since 2004 •Part of Farm Bill since 2008 •Each state receives $100,000 and additional funding based upon acreage and population •$118 million awarded in 2014 for 839 projects Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 5. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Eligible applicants: •Producer associations •State and local organizations •Academia Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 6. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Eligible projects: Projects must solely enhance the competitiveness of your state’s specialty crops. They cannot profit single organizations, institutions, or individuals. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 7. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Grant priority areas: •Research •Education/training •Marketing/promotion •Food safety/handling Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 8. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program In other words: USDA gives millions of dollars in block grants to each state’s department of agriculture to re-grant for projects that help sell specialty crops in your state provided you are a non- profit working to help growers. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 9. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program How we defined the problem: More than 98 percent of Mississippi farms are locally owned. Specialty crops represent only 2 percent of the state’s total agricultural production. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 10. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Our grant title: Using Specialty Crops to Develop and Promote Farmers’ Markets in Mississippi Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 11. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Three-part solution: Use specialty crops as the focal point to build awareness among 1. consumers 2. growers and producers 3. community leaders about participation in farmers’ markets. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 12. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program 1. Consumers: Use media to promote farmers’ markets: • Freshness • Quality • Health benefits Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 13. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program 2. Growers and Producers: Growers’ conference to educate about markets: • Profitability of growing and selling • Advice from Extension personnel • Chance to invite government and community personnel Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 14. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program 3. Community and municipal leaders: Use media to educate and promote: • Economic advantages to communities hosting farmers’ markets Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 15. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Partnership: Asked an Extension horticulturist to co-PI: •Organize a growers’ conference •Publish new publications as needed •Lend his PhD to the grant application for its educational value •Fulfill the education priority of the grant Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 16. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Budget: Our department’s usual charge of $50 per hour was acceptable in the USDA formula for hourly wages. Next, we simply had to plan the services and estimate the time it would take. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 17. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Website and social media: $5,000 •http://farmersmarkets.msstate.edu •Facebook •Twitter •Extension YouTube Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 18. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Television PSAs: $10,475 Aired on Farmweek DVDs sent to state TV stations •https://youtu.be/ie_5QR0FjnQ •https://youtu.be/AVL_syi0yiE •https://youtu.be/Y0Fn56mklLY Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
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- 21. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 22. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Growers’ conference: $8,471 •Two-day conference •100 participants •Fit the education priority Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 23. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Publications: $4,933 •Growers’ conference promotional brochure •Tri-fold general use brochure •Extension pub Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 24. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Total Services: •$8,471 Television public service announcements •$5,000 Website and social media •$4,933 Publications – writing, editing, art, and printing •$1,580 Radio shows/public service announcements •$700 News releases and features •$525 Photography •$10,475 Microfarming growers’ conference Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 25. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Grant Application: •$33,285 total proposal Billed quarterly or as each service is rendered •December 2013–May 2015 timeline Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 26. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Measurable Outcomes: •10 percent increase in number of state farmers’ markets •Double website traffic with new site compared to existing Extension pages •10 percent increase in specialty crop growers of those attending growers’ conference Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 27. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Find your state program: www.usda.gov --> search for “specialty crop grant” Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
- 28. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Questions? Rick Noffsinger Office of Agricultural Communications (662) 325-9270 rick.noffsinger@msstate.edu Specialty Crop Block Grant Program