USDA investing into farmer education

More than $2 million will be invested

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

New farmers and farmers who are unsure about the programs and support that the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides, are set to receive a boost from the USDA.

The USDA is investing $2.5 million in grants to educate farmers about the financial, disaster, technical assistance and other services provided by the FSA. The grants will be awarded to institutions focused on improving farmer education in areas including financial training, crop production and property inheritance.

"We want to partner with nonprofits, colleges and universities who share USDA's priority of helping more Americans enter farming as a profession, whether they are new or underserved farmers, returning Service members, minorities, women, and urban producers or those who sell their crops locally," said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden in a release.

The USDA is currently accepting grant applications and will evaluate them on four different occasions:

• November 20, 2015
• January 22, 2016
• March 18, 2016
• May 27, 2016

There are a total of 125 grants expected to be awarded and can range from $20,000 to $100,000.

For non-profit organizations and educational parties interested in applying for grants, the Farm Service Agency will hold an online information session on Monday, September 28, 2015, beginning at 1:00pm EST.

Join the conversation and tell us if you’re interested in applying for a grant. How would you go about educating farmers about the FSA? What are some things you would like to see more information on?