Introduction

This guide is written for anyone seeking help from federal programs to foster innovative enterprises in agriculture and forestry in the United States. Specifically, the guide addresses program resources in community development; sustainable land management; and value-added and diversified agriculture and forestry. Thus, it can help farmers, entrepreneurs, community developers, conservationists, and many other individuals, as well as private and public organizations, both for-profit and not-for-profit.

The guide can also help USDA and other agency employees become aware and take better advantage of the enormous array of federal programs and resources available to their clients in supporting agricultural and forestry innovations. This edition constitutes the guide's fourth printing and second complete update, incorporating programs from the 2002 Farm Bill.

 

How can the guide help you?

We hope to introduce you to programs that can be useful to your work, including some you might not otherwise have thought to pursue. We have included descriptions of federal programs or resources that may create opportunities or provide assistance in adding value, diversifying, or adopting more sustainable practices in agricultural and forest product enterprises.

Along with a general overview of each program, the guide explains the assistance the program offers and its purposes, as well as the restrictions on that assistance. When possible, we give specific examples of how the program has actually been used to support such work.

 

How is the guide organized?

There are three ways to identify programs that can help you:

• The A - Z Program Index lists federal programs as they appear alphabetically in the directory.
• The left-navigation section sorts the programs into five fields of interest, including those that:
  • Help build sustainable communities
  • Assist farmers, ranchers and agricultural concerns
  • Focus on food systems, nutrition, and health
  • Are related to forestry, fisheries, wildlife, and the environment
  • Help small businesses and entrepreneurs.
  Under each field of interest is a list of the type of assistance available: informational resources; technical assistance and advice; funding — loans, grants and disbursements; business and financial opportunities; and environment — water, soil, air, energy, and pollution issues.
• The index identifies programs by key phrases appropriate to the resources they offer.

This guide includes programs that offer significant assistance to support agricultural and forestry innovations, particularly those related to value-added and diversified enterprises; sustainable land and resource management; and community development. Although we sought suggestions from many people, undoubtedly some relevant programs escaped our attention.

Further, although the program descriptions are accurate as of this printing, aspects of some programs will change. Please check Internet websites, when available, for updates and applications for programs.

 

What kinds of innovations do programs described in this guide support?

Increasing numbers of farmers, foresters, and other landowners seek to adopt resource production practices that are both environmentally and economically sound. For example, many farmers want to reduce their use of pesticides, protect their soil, or improve habitat for wildlife, while maintaining or increasing the profitability of their land. This guide offers landowners help in pursuing a wide variety of land management strategies that combine environmental and economic concerns.

These strategies include sustainable forestry practices; intensive rotational grazing of livestock; soil conservation structures; organic or biodynamic farming systems; Integrated Pest Management (IPM); diversified crops and crop rotations; farmland protection, wetland and other habitat restoration; and many other practices. This guide includes numerous programs that help landowners get information, funding, technical assistance and other resources to support such land management changes.

Many entrepreneurs seek to add value to agricultural and forestry resources. Because earnings in extractive industries (for example, agricultural production and timber harvesting) are generally low and highly volatile, many communities seek to build economic and environmental sustainability by adding value to natural resources through processing, packaging, marketing, distributing the products themselves, or by producing their goods with methods that gain market premiums.

Creating value-added jobs can improve the diversity of the local economy, increase local incomes, capture higher profits locally, and use local natural resources more efficiently and sustainably. This guide describes many programs offering financial, technical, marketing, and other assistance for such enterprises.

Both rural and urban communities suffer from the drain of physical and economic resources. Many are concerned about job creation, increasing social stability and raising the standard of living of their citizens. For all communities, these needs translate into a broad array of initiatives, from incubators and others means of spawning new businesses, to training programs, job creation, market development, infrastructure improvements and improved access to nutritious foods in local communities. Localities can use this guide to identify forms of federal economic and technical assistance most appropriate to their needs.

 

What are successful strategies for obtaining resources to support forestry and agricultural innovations?

This guide lists numerous programs that can help advance innovations in sustainable agriculture, forestry, entrepreneurship, conservation, and community development. Following some sensible and logical steps will help increase your chances of targeting programs for your needs and writing successful proposals.

 

What are the hallmarks of a well conceived project?

A successful federally funded project — whether a research proposal, conservation plan, marketing or other proposal — is no different from any other good project. It has tightly defined purposes; a clear strategy to accomplish them on a realistic timeline; the necessary people, money, and other resources; a basis for evaluating the process when done; and an effective means of communicating results.

Many projects are improved by a thoughtful effort to build supporting coalitions. A funder will look favorably on, and may require, local matches of funding. Remember that funding matches usually can also come in the form of existing staff salaries and other "inkind" contributions, as well as actual dollars.

In designing a good project, be sure that you have included the right people in the planning process itself. Every participant should not only care about the idea, but also be prepared to contribute to its execution. Some questions to consider in developing your proposal include the following:

• What problem do you seek to address?
• What is your principal strategy to resolve that problem?
• Why is this strategy better than other approaches you might consider?
• Have other people, locally or otherwise, addressed this problem? If so, what have you learned from their work, and how does your effort relate to theirs?
• Who else might be concerned about your issues? Should they be involved in your project?
• What is a realistic timeline for action?
• What resources do you need to implement your project? What resources can you use for a non-federal match?
• Would others profit from knowing about your initiative? If so, how do you plan to get the word out?
• How will you measure and evaluate your project's outcomes?

 

How can you identify potential federal programs?

Once you have a good idea of what your project should look like and what resources it requires, it is time to explore federal programs and figure out what programs, if any, can help you achieve your goals. Besides this guide, there are many ways to locate resources potentially useful to you. Ask colleagues doing similar work about who has funded their work, and make use of reference sections in larger public libraries, most university main libraries, and the development office of any large university. These reference sites often have many useful directories, some dealing with private sources and others with federal ones.

Just a few sources include the following: The Foundation Directory; the National Directory of Corporate Giving; Complete Grants Sourcebook for Higher Education; Directory of Research Grants; Funding Sources for Community and Economic Development; Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance; The Federal Register; Federal Support for Nonprofits; Government Assistance Almanac; Government Giveaways for Entrepreneurs; Guide to Federal Funding for Governments and Nonprofits; and the Guide to Federal Funding for Education.

Many resources are available on the Internet, including:

• The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, http://12.46.245.173/cfda/cfda.html
• The Federal Register, http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/
• A site for federal grants in all agencies, http://www.grants.gov
• The Foundation Center , which includes lists and indices of private foundations http://www.fdncenter.org
• Building Better Rural Places, which can be viewed or downloaded at http://attra.ncat.org/guide/.

Many other private and public resources at the state and local levels are not covered in this guide. Contact your State Department of Agriculture, State Forester, State Rural Development Office, local Extension Office, local conservation office and Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) coordinator to explore those possibilities. Also, asking yourself who might have a stake in the outcomes of your work might suggest additional potential funding sources.

 

How can you decide which programs are most appropriate for your needs?

Identifying programs in this guide and from other sources whose purposes and available resources suit your objectives is an art form. Instead of wasting your time chasing programs that have incompatible goals, a little methodical research will help you assess how well your project fits within various programs.

You may want to talk with program staff, people previously funded, or organizations that have worked with a program to decide whether there is a fit and if so, how to argue for it. It comes down to asking good questions and thinking strategically. For example:

• What are the program's stated mission and objectives? What projects has it funded or collaborated with in the past? Is the form of assistance appropriate to your needs? (Think creatively about your project's needs. The problems for which you seek help from federal resources are likely complex, and often more than one type of assistance may contribute to their solution.)
• What are the program's funding pool, percentage of applicants who typically get funded, average funding amounts, and duration of program grants?
• What are eligibility requirements, financial match requirements, and restrictions on a program's use? Is funding available up front or (more typically) on a reimbursement basis?
• Are deadlines for applying and the timeframe for funding appropriate to your project timeline? Does the program fund multiyear projects? Do past grantees feel that a program's reporting requirements are reasonable and the program well administered?

 

What are some hints for submitting successful applications?

Once you have designed a good project, prepare it for submission to any program to which you're applying so that it stands the greatest chance of being approved. Make sure it is written according to any format requirements.

Identify the central points you want to make, including how your proposal addresses a program's key goals. Be precise and accurate; do not be tempted to exaggerate the need or over promise results. Use clear, concise language to make your application or proposal readable. It is smart to have your application reviewed by someone whose editing skills you trust. Is it clear? Readable? Grammatically correct?

Pay close attention to formatting, deadline, nonfederal monetary match and other stated requirements. Be sure that your budget is accurate, clear, and is accompanied by a budget narrative to clarify any points you think could be misunderstood by reviewers. And, of course, do not be daunted by having to readjust your proposal for each program to which you submit it.

Make sure you understand the review process. Is it based on a review by only a few people, or will the review be more comprehensive? If the contact person makes funding decisions, get to know their preferences. Under any circumstances, call program staff if you have questions about the application process. Of course, always be pleasant and not overbearing in discussing your project.

Finally, but very importantly – do not be discouraged! Many successfully funded grants and applications for federal resources are the result of earlier failed attempts. Understanding why your earlier efforts were rejected is likely to help in future ones. Be sure to ask.

 

Getting a copy of the guide

To obtain a free copy of this guide, please contact ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, at P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702, 1 (800) 346-9140, fax (406) 494-2905, or e-mail debbier@ncat.org.

 

Workshops on using the guide

The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) offers workshops to help use this guide. The workshops cover how to envision and design sound projects; identify programs offering resources; and maximize your chances of submitting successful proposals.

For more information, contact Margaret Krome, MFAI Agricultural Policy Coordinator, at (608) 238-1440; mkrome@inxpress.net.

Last Updated March 11, 2005

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