[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 14, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17146-17147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8543]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service


Notice of Funding Availability for the Beginning Farmer and 
Rancher Development Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, 
USDA.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service (CSREES) is announcing the release of the FY 2009 Beginning 
Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) Request for Applications 
(RFA) via Grants.gov.

DATES: The FY 2009 Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program RFA 
(BFRDP) was posted to Grants.gov on Friday, March 13, 2009, and 
applications are due via Grants.gov by Monday, May 13, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Siva Sureshwaran, 202-720-7536 
(phone), 202-401-6070 (fax), or [email protected]. Janie 
Simms Hipp, 202-720-3605 (phone), 202-690-3162 (fax), or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background and Purpose

    Section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
(Pub. L. 107-171) (7 U.S.C. 3319f) as amended by the Food, 
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246), directs the 
Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to establish a Beginning Farmer 
and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). The authority to carry out the 
BFRDP has been delegated to CSREES through the Under Secretary for 
Research, Education, and Economics. The Secretary is authorized to make 
competitive grants to support new and established local and regional 
training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives 
that address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers (Standard 
BFRDP Projects). Grants for Standard BFRDP Projects will be awarded to 
address needs of beginning farmers and ranchers in the following 
priority areas: Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internship activities; 
resources and referral; assisting beginning farmers or ranchers in 
understanding how to acquire land from retiring farmers and ranchers; 
innovative farm and ranch transfer strategies; entrepreneurship and 
business training; model land leasing contracts; financial management 
training; whole farm planning; conservation assistance; risk management 
education; diversification and marketing strategies; curriculum 
development; understanding the impact of concentration and 
globalization; basic livestock and crop farming practices, forestry and 
range management; acquisition and management of agricultural credit; 
environmental compliance; information processing; and other similar 
subject areas of use to beginning farmers and ranchers. The Secretary 
is also directed to establish beginning farmer and rancher education 
teams to develop curricula and conduct educational programs and 
workshops for beginning farmers and ranchers in diverse geographical 
areas in the United States (Educational Enhancement Projects).
    The FY 2009 BFRDP RFA is soliciting grant applications for Standard 
BFRDP Projects and Educational Enhancement Projects discussed above. In 
addition, the RFA is soliciting a project application to establish an 
Online clearinghouse that makes available to beginning farmers or 
ranchers education curricula and training materials and programs, which 
may include Online courses for direct use by beginning farmers or 
ranchers. This award will be made as a cooperative agreement.
    The Secretary may make awards to a collaborative State, tribal, 
local or regionally-based network or partnership of public or private 
entities, which may include: A State cooperative extension service; a 
Federal, State, or tribal agency; a community-based and nongovernmental 
organization; a college or university (including a junior college 
awarding an associate's degree) or foundation maintained by a college 
or university; private for-profit organizations; or any other 
appropriate partner, as determined by the Secretary.
    All applicants are required to provide funds or in-kind support 
from non-Federal sources in an amount that is at least equal to 25 
percent of the Federal funds requested.
    In making BFRDP awards, priority will be given to partnerships and 
collaborations that are led by or include nongovernmental and 
community-based organizations with expertise in new agricultural 
producer training and outreach.
    The estimated amount available for support of this program in FY 
2009 is $17,280,000. The eligibility criteria for projects and 
applicants, and the application forms and associated instructions 
needed to apply for a BFRDP award, can be accessed through

[[Page 17147]]

the Grants.gov Web site and http://www.grants.gov.

    Done at Washington, DC, this 9th day of April 2009.
Colien Hefferan,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service.
[FR Doc. E9-8543 Filed 4-13-09; 8:45 am]
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