The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal

[awea-smallwind] Digest Number 35

There is 1 message in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

     1. USDA value-added grant applications due 5/6/05
          From: Heather Rhoads-Weaver 


________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 1        
  Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 13:46:26 -0800
  From: Heather Rhoads-Weaver 
Subject: USDA value-added grant applications due 5/6/05

AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES GRANT FUNDING FOR FARM-BASED PROJECTS

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Mike Johanns has announced
the availability of $14.3 million in grants to support the development of
value-added agriculture business ventures.

"The Bush Administration is committed to working with rural farmers,
ranchers and entrepreneurs to increase their economic opportunities, and to
create jobs that boost local economies," said Johanns.  "These grants
provide America's farmers and ranchers with the investment funds needed to
expand their role in developing and marketing value-added products."

Johanns said priority consideration will be given to those grant
applications that have at least 51% of project costs dedicated to
activities for a bio-energy project.  To date, the Administration has
funded over $100 million in value-added grants, including over 80 energy
projects.  The renewable energy projects involve bio-diesel, ethanol or
wind energy production or the use of biomass to generate energy.

The Value-Added Producer Grant program was authorized by the Agriculture
Risk Protection Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-224) and the 2002 Farm Bill.  Grants
are available to independent producers, agricultural producer groups,
farmer or rancher cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based
business ventures interested in a competitively-awarded grant to fund one
of the following two activities: (1) planning activities needed to
establish a viable value-added marketing opportunity for an agricultural
product (e.g. conduct a feasibility study, develop a business plan, develop
a marketing plan); or (2) acquire working capital to operate a value-added
business venture that will allow producers to better compete in domestic
and international markets.

Awards will be made on a competitive basis.  Applications must be received
no later than May 6.  Detailed information about application and program
requirements will be included in the March 7 issue of the Federal Register.

More information on rural programs is available at the USDA's Web site at
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov .

From Wind Energy Weekly
Vol. 24, #1132
4 March 2005




________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________


AWEA Small Wind News and Alerts:
The AWEA Small Wind News and Alerts list is a timely source for information updates, news clips and action alerts focusing on small wind energy. This list is announcement-only with low-traffic, weekly mailings.

Subscribe:  awea-smallwind-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awea-smallwind

Post message: awea-smallwind@yahoogroups.com [message posting moderated by AWEA]

Unsubscribe:  awea-smallwind-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awea-smallwind/