A collaborative effort between the West Virginia University Extension Service and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture will teach interested individuals how to understand, develop, write and submit federal and private grant applications.
The training will cover the fundamentals of grant writing for any organization, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers Market and Local Foods Promotion Program, Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, NESARE Farmer and Partnership Grants and many others.
Individuals have the choice of attending one of two sessions in person and a third online.
On Feb.18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Morgantown session will take place on WVU’s Evansdale Campus in the Agricultural Sciences Building. For those unable to attend in person, the Morgantown session will be simultaneously broadcast live online, but in-person attendance is strongly encouraged.
The second session will take place on Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cedar Lakes Conference Center near Ripley.
Registration is available online. This is a free event, but registration is required. All materials and refreshments will be provided.
According to WVU Extension Specialist Dee Singh-Knights, grants such as the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program are key to the USDA's efforts to revitalize rural economies by supporting local and regional food systems.
“The grant workshops ensure more communities and businesses across the country can participate in the competitive grant process,” she said. “We teach you to write proposals that create real economic opportunities and help meet the growing demand for locally and regionally produced food."
The sessions are a collaboration of WVU Extension Service, West Virginia Department of Agriculture, West Virginia State University Extension and Northeast SARE (Northeast Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education) programs.
“The impact of programs like this grant-writing workshop can be felt throughout the country,” WVDA Marketing Specialist Cindy Martel noted. “We’re empowering farmers and producers to find or improve their access to funding sources.”
The Agricultural Act of 2014, commonly referred to as the Farm Bill, authorizes $30 million annually through 2018 to provide competitive grants and to develop new market opportunities for farm and ranch operations serving local and regional markets.
These investments are part of the USDA's commitment to strengthen local and regional food systems through projects that recruit and train farmers, expand economic opportunities and increase access to healthy foods.
For more information, contact Dee Singh-Knights at 304.293.7606 or dosingh-knights@mail.wvu.edu or Cindy Martel at 304.541.9756 or cmartel@wvda.us.
The WVU Extension Service provides educational opportunities to local communities through offices in all 55 West Virginia counties. WVU Extension Service’s programs are accomplished in partnership with individuals, families, businesses, civic groups and governmental organizations statewide and throughout the nation.
To learn more about ways WVU Extension uses trusted research and local experts to empower citizens to improve their health, visit http://ext.wvu.edu/, or contact your local office of the WVU Extension Service.
-WVU-
dsk/02/07/17
CONTACT:
Doolarie Singh-Knights, WVU Extension Service
304.293.7606; dosingh-knights@mail.wvu.edu