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Source: NCDA&CS We are currently accepting applications!FACT awards competitive grants of up to $3,000 to
working, independent farmers located in the U.S. who raise beef cattle, bison,
broiler chickens, dairy cows, ducks, geese, goats, laying hens, pigs, sheep
and/or turkeys. Before submitting your online application, please read the complete set of
eligibility guidelines below. Applications must be submitted online by
11:59pm CT on January 20, 2022 to be considered for this round
of funding. Grants will be awarded in March 2022. APPLY FOR A FUND-A-FARMER GRANT
TYPES
OF PROJECTSAll applications will be submitted online
through one main Fund-a-Farmer Grant application, no matter the type
of project. To begin, applicants will be required to set-up an account in the
Good Grants system. As in past years, FACT will fund the following:
- Grants for farmers who are pursuing animal welfare
certification: These
grants support farms that are pursuing one of three animal welfare
certifications: Certified Animal
Welfare Approved (AWA) and affiliated
certifications by A Greener World (AGW), Certified Humane® Raised and Handled (HFAC), or Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Animal Welfare
Certified (steps 4 to 5+). Proposed projects do not
necessarily have to address a particular standard required for
certification. These grants will be made for on-farm projects that help
improve animal welfare.
- Grants for welfare-certified farmers: These grants are for projects that would help
farms that already hold one of the certifications above to build capacity
or maintain certification. These grants can be for on-farm
production-related projects, or for other projects related to the
marketing, sales, and distribution of welfare-certified products.
- Grants for farmers to improve or expand pasture for their
animals: FACT will fund projects that would help farms transition to pasture-based systems, expand animals’ access to well-managed pasture, and improve the quality of pasture for animals. Farmers do not need to hold or be seeking certification.
Farms and
projects that fit into more than one category may indicate multiple types on
the application form. Funding for grants made to farmers who are seeking certification or
who already hold certification has been underwritten by generous support from
the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS 1. Farms must be located in
the United States and be working, independent family farms, or operated by a
federally-recognized tribal entity. These are farms on which a family,
individual or tribe owns the animals, is engaged in the day to day management
of the farm and its animals, derives a share of livelihood from the farm, and
produces a livestock product for sale. If you are selected to receive a grant you will
be required to furnish a valid Schedule F or Schedule C form or comparable form
from a recent tax return; this document is not required at time of application.
If you file a different form to report income/loss from your farm business, or
are not required to file taxes for your farm business because you farm on
tribal land, please note this in your application. 2. Proposed on-farm projects
must impact at least one of these species: beef cattle, bison, broiler
chickens, dairy cows, ducks, geese, goats, laying hens, pigs, sheep and/or
turkeys. Farms must already raise animals (i.e. produce-only farms are not
eligible). Projects involving a new species of animals on an existing
livestock/poultry operation will be considered. 3. Only one application per
farm per year will be accepted. 4. Farms
that do not hold one of the three specified certifications
may apply for an on-farm, production-related project that would improve animal
welfare and expand pasture-based systems. Examples include the
purchase and installation or fencing, mobile housing, or water systems for
animals on pasture. For applicants who are seeking certification, proposed
projects do not necessarily have to address a particular standard required for
certification. If the project would help you make progress toward achieving
certification, you may include this information in your application. 5. Farms that already
hold one of
the three animal welfare certifications may apply for funds that can be used
for on-farm, production-oriented projects as described above, as well as or
other projects related to marketing, sales, and distribution of
welfare-certified products. Examples of eligible projects
include but are not limited to: On-farm
infrastructure or investments (e.g. on-farm improvements to maintain certification and/or the
increase scale and efficiency of the operation, purchase of capital investments
such as certified breeding stock and refrigeration units, value added product
development); Supply
chain infrastructure or investments (e.g. transporting products to market, coordinating pick-up,
aggregation and distribution of food items from multiple sources); Institutional
or wholesale investments (e.g. investments to meet institutional/wholesale parameters or
sourcing needs, such as increased production, product packaging, value added
processing or administrative prerequisites); Education
or marketing efforts
(e.g. educating local distributors to value welfare certifications, creating a
cooperative, developing educational materials); Joint
sales efforts to buyers (e.g. outreach on behalf of multiple farms to local institutions,
restaurants or markets to secure contracts that pull from multiple farms). 6. All proposed projects must
begin and be completed within the time frame of March 2022 through June 2023.
Projects that are completed before March 2022 are not eligible for funding. 7. The maximum award per farm
is $3,000. Eligible expense categories include: materials, supplies, equipment,
shipping/delivery costs, consultant/professional fees, travel, training, and
hired labor costs. 8. No funds will be awarded to:
- Farms that cannot provide a valid
Schedule F, Schedule C or comparable form by March 2022. If
you are not required to file taxes for your farm business because you farm
on tribal land, please note this in your application.
- Non-profit organizations, schools,
and farm sanctuaries are not eligible.
- The purchase of animals (with the
exception of livestock guardian dogs for all applicants, and breeding
stock for animal welfare-certified farms), land, or recurring operational
expenses such as animal feed.
- Projects solely focused on
aquaculture, apiaries, alpacas, horses, rabbits, or other types of animals
not included in the list of eligible species above.
- Projects related to the production
of raw milk.
- Projects related to the slaughter of
animals.
- Certification fees associated with
animal welfare or other types of certification.
9. If awarded a grant, farmers must
agree to a possible scheduled farm visit(s) by FACT and/or ASPCA staff, as well
as flash photography and videos during the visit, and the use of the farm
name/photos/video in FACT and/or ASPCA publications and websites. For more information, click here.
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