By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s not easy being a first-time farmer or rancher. The USDA and American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) realize this and aim to help.

The USDA is awarding more than $17 million in grants to 29 institutions to address the needs of these first-time farmers and ranchers by enhancing the sustainability and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture. AFBF’s effort includes an information clearinghouse to help these first-timers.

The USDA’s grants were awarded through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). BFRDP is an education, training, technical assistance and outreach program designed to help U.S. farmers and ranchers, specifically those who have been farming for 10 years or less.

“Beginning farmers and ranchers face unique challenges and need educational and training programs to enhance their profitability and long-term sustainability,” Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said.

This funding announcement is part of USDA’s new ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative, which was launched in September to emphasize the need for a fundamental and critical reconnection between producers and consumers.

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food includes such major agricultural topics as supporting local farmers and community food groups, strengthening rural communities, enhancing direct marketing and farmers’ promotion programs and promoting healthy eating. “It also protects natural resources and helps schools connect with locally-grown foods,” Merrigan said.

Congress authorized the fiscal year 2009 funding for this program in the 2008 farm bill, with another $19 million in mandatory funding for fiscal year 2010. Under the program, USDA will make grants to organization that will implement programs to help beginning farmers and ranchers.

Beginning farmers and ranchers interested in participating in any of the education, outreach, mentoring and/or internship activities can contact any of the 29 grantee institutions in this program at www.nifa.usda.gov

Recipients of these grants (and their funding) in the Farm World readership area include the University of Kentucky-Lexington ($749,883), Angelic Organics Learning Center of Caledonia, Ill.
($750,000) and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville ($74,000).
The AFBF’s clearinghouse is also a component of the BFRDP and will be supported by a five-year, $1.5 million grant from USDA. It will use the grant money to develop a website and database to serve beginning farmers and ranchers.