[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 227 (Monday, November 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 70416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28522]



[[Page 70416]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture


Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Youth Farm 
Safety Education and Certification Competitive Grants Program

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for stakeholder input.

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SUMMARY: The Youth Farm Safety Education and Certification (YFSEC) 
program is authorized under Extension Activities, Smith-Lever 3(d) 
Programs. By this notice, NIFA is designated to act on behalf of the 
Secretary of Agriculture in soliciting public comment from interested 
persons regarding program and funding priorities for the Youth Farm 
Safety Education and Certification Program.

DATES: One listening session will be held on December 12, 2012 to 
collect stakeholder input. All comments not otherwise presented or 
submitted for the record at the meeting must be submitted by close of 
business December 26, 2012, to assure consideration in the development 
of the proposed FY 2013 program guidelines.

ADDRESSES: The December 12, 2012 meeting will use a webinar format and 
will be accessible by conference call (audio) and Internet (visual 
only). Connection details for the meeting will be posted on the 
National Institute of Food and Agriculture Web site (www.nifa.usda.gov) 
or by contacting the individual listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
(below). You may submit comments, identified by NIFA-2013-0007, by any 
of the following methods:
    Email: [email protected]. Include NIFA-2013-0007 in the 
subject line of the message.
    Mail: Paper submissions should be submitted to Farm Safety 
Comments; Division of Agricultural Systems, Institute of Food 
Production and Sustainability, National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture; STOP 2240, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-2240.
    Hand Delivery/Courier: Farm Safety Comments; Division of 
Agricultural Systems, Institute of Food Production and Sustainability, 
National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture; Room 3446, Waterfront Centre, 800 9th Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20024. Instructions: All submissions must include the 
identifier NIFA-2013-0007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Camielle Compton, (202) 401-6825 
(phone), or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additional Meeting and Comment Procedures

    Persons wishing to present oral comments at the December 12th 
meeting are requested to pre-register by contacting Camielle Compton, 
(202) 401-6825 (phone), or by email to [email protected].
    Participants may reserve one five-minute comment period. More time 
may be available, depending on the number of people wishing to make a 
presentation. Reservations for oral comments will be confirmed on a 
first-come, first-served basis. All comments not presented or submitted 
for the record at the meeting must be submitted by close of business on 
December 26, 2012, to be considered in the development of the FY 2013 
Farm Safety program guidelines. All comments and the official 
transcript of the meeting, when they become available, will be 
available on the NIFA Web page for six months.

Background and Purpose

    The YFSEC program is authorized by the Smith-Lever Act of May 8, 
1914, as amended (7 U.S.C. 341 et seq.). Section 7403 of the Food, 
Conservation, and Energy Act (FCEA) of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246) amended 
section 3(d) of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 [7 U.S.C. 343(d)] to 
include 1890 Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, including Tuskegee 
University and West Virginia State University, as institutions eligible 
for funding. Beginning in FY 2009, the eligibility to compete for 
funding for both programs was further broadened to include the 
University of the District of Columbia.
    The YFSEC program supports national efforts to deliver timely, 
pertinent, and appropriate training to youth actively working, with or 
without compensation, in agricultural production, regardless of whether 
the agricultural production enterprise is or is not family-owned. NIFA 
supports training for the existing Agricultural Hazardous Occupation 
Order by updating and assessing curricula, testing procedures, and 
certification means. Two complete curricula have been developed through 
the YFSEC program and are available at www.agsafety4youth.info. The 
intent of the listening session and written comments is to gather 
stakeholder input on program focus and priorities for agricultural 
safety and health education. USDA-NIFA suggests the following questions 
be addressed in drafting comments on the program:
    1. What are the current educational gaps in agricultural safety and 
health education that could be addressed through this program?
    2. What are the critical components of a coordinated approach to 
Agricultural Safety and Health Education?
    3. Is there a need for a one-stop-shop for education and program 
materials in agricultural safety and health?
    4. What educational standards should be considered in development 
of the curriculum?
    5. What can be done to improve educational outreach to vulnerable 
populations, such as non-english-speaking and immigrant youth, in 
agricultural jobs?
    6. What partners would be beneficial to engage in developing a more 
comprehensive and effective agricultural health and safety curriculum 
for youth?
    7. What educational approaches, such as use of social media, could 
be used to get the message out, both more effectively and to a larger 
number of young workers?
    The December 12, 2012 listening session is scheduled to assist NIFA 
leadership in more fully addressing stakeholder needs and assuring that 
the Farm Safety programs address the highest priorities authorized 
under this program.

Implementation Plans

    NIFA plans to consider stakeholder input received from this meeting 
as well as other written comments and stakeholder input in developing 
the FY 2013 program guidelines, dependent on Congressional 
appropriation. NIFA anticipates releasing the proposed FY 2013 RFA(s) 
by March 2013.

    Done at Washington, DC, this 16th day of November 2012.
Sonny Ramaswamy,
Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2012-28522 Filed 11-23-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P