If you have questions on these or any other grant opportunities, please call Congresswoman Chellie Pingree's office at (207) 774-5019. Go here for a list of federal grant resources.

To request a letter of support for your application, please download and email this form.

Farm to School Grant: Applications due April 24

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 6, 2013 – Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced the release of a request for applications (RFA) for the latest round of USDA's Farm to School grants. These grants help eligible schools improve the health and wellbeing of their students and connect with local agricultural producers.

For more information, go the USDA Farm to School page.

"USDA's Farm to School grants connect schools with their local farmers, ranchers and food businesses, providing new economic opportunities to food producers and bringing healthy, local offerings into school cafeterias," said Merrigan. "USDA continues to make improvements to the nutrition of food offered in schools, and investing in farm to school programs is yet another important opportunity to encourage our nation's kids to make lifelong healthy eating choices."

This year, three different kinds of grants will be available. Planning grants are intended for schools just getting started on farm to school activities, while implementation grants are available for schools seeking to augment or expand existing efforts. Additionally, eligible non-profit entities, Indian tribal organizations, state and local agencies, and agriculture producers or groups of producers may apply for support service grants in order to conduct trainings, create complementary curriculum, or further develop supply chains, among other activities. Proposals are due at midnight EST, April 24, 2013.

To assist eligible entities in preparing proposals, USDA will host a series of webinars related to the application process:

March 5, 2013, 1:00 EST – Planning Grants

March 6, 2013, 1:00 EST – Implementation Grants

March 7, 2013, 1:00 EST – Support Service Grants

The Farm to School Grant Program is part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which authorized and funded USDA to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. The Act provides $5 million annually to support grants, technical assistance, and the federal administrative costs related to USDA's Farm to School Program. In this funding cycle, USDA anticipates awarding up to $5 million in grants.

Healthier school meals are a key component of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which was championed by the First Lady as part of her Let's Move! campaign and signed into law by President Obama. The new meal requirements are raising standards for the first time in more than fifteen years and improving the health and nutrition of nearly 32 million kids that participate in school meal programs every school day.

Farm to School is one component of USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF) initiative, launched in 2009 to coordinate the Department's work on local and regional food systems and create new opportunities for farmers, ranchers, consumers and rural communities. An interactive view of USDA programs that support local and regional foods, including farm to school and farm to institution, is available in the Know Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass. The KYF Compass consists of an interactive map of USDA-supported local and regional food projects and an accompanying guide to programs and results. In October 2012, the map was expanded and now includes projects from nine other federal agencies. 

Organic Initiative and Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative grant program--Deadline on April 19, 2013

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Juan Hernandez has announced a second ranking period for the Organic Initiative and the Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative. Interested producers should contact their local NRCS office soon to find out if they are eligible for either of these programs. Applications for the second ranking period of 2013 are due at the NRCS offices by close of business on April 19, 2013. Both initiatives are funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and offer technical and financial assistance.

Through the Organic Initiative NRCS helps certified organic growers and producers working to achieve organic certification install conservation practices for organic production. Funding is available to help producers plan and implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns in ways that are consistent with organic production. "Practices will help the selected applicants meet many requirements of their USDA Organic System Plans and stay in compliance with USDA's National Organic Program," said Hernandez.

Through the Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative, NRCS helps producers plan and implement high tunnels – steel-framed, polyethylene-covered structures that extend growing seasons in an environmentally safe manner. High tunnel benefits include better plant and soil quality, fewer nutrients and pesticides in the environment, and better air quality due to fewer vehicles being needed to transport crops.

For more information go to www.me.nrcs.usda.gov or contact your nearest USDA Service Center, listed online at http://offices.usda.gov or in the telephone book under United States Government, Agriculture Department.

Art Works Federal Grant--Application Deadline on March 7, 2013

Art Works is the NEA's largest funding category. These matching grants range from $10,000 to $100,000 and cover a broad range of projects across all disciplines. Projects include commissions, residencies, rehearsals, workshops, performances, exhibitions, publications, festivals, training programs and literature fellowships. In FY 2012, the NEA supported more than 1,790 grants totaling $102 million through this category.

2013 Deadlines: March 7^th & August 8^th

Some helpful links for constituents:

·         The guidelines and application materials on the NEA’s website

·         Helpful, discipline-specific webinars led by NEA staff

·         Organization registration checklist for registering with grants.gov

·         Your constituents can contact us directly with questions (Liz Miller at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 202-682-5477)