USDA seeking Applications for 2020 Farmers Market Promotion Program

Deadline: 11 May 2020

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is inviting applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP).

FMPP’s purpose is to support the development, coordination, and expansion of direct-producer-to-consumer markets to increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. AMS will competitively award grants to eligible applicants for projects that meet the purpose of this grant program.

Focus Areas

FMPP funds projects that develop, coordinate, and expand direct producer-to-consumer markets to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. The program focuses on:

• Supporting and promoting domestic direct producer-to-consumer (including direct producer-toretail, direct producer-to-restaurant and direct producer-to-institutional marketing) marketing such as farmers markets, roadside stands, agritourism activities, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, or online sales;
• Encouraging the development of value-added agricultural products;
• Developing marketing strategies for producers of local food and value-added products;
• Facilitating regional food chain coordination and mid-tier value chain development;
• Promoting new business opportunities and marketing strategies to reduce on-farm food waste;
• Responding to changing technology needs in direct producer-to-consumer marketing; and
• Covering expenses related to costs incurred in obtaining food safety certification and improvements to food safety practices and equipment.

Projects

FMPP offers Capacity Building (CB) and Community Development Training and Technical Assistance (CTA) project types.

• Capacity Building (CB)
  • CB projects are intended to assist applicants to achieve its mission and build long-term organizational capacity in the development, coordination, and expansion of domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, CSA programs, agritourism activities, online sales, or other direct producer-to-consumer (including direct producer-to-retail, direct producer-to-restaurant and direct producer-to-institutional marketing) market opportunities. CB projects should demonstrate a direct benefit to farm and ranch operations serving local markets (including new and beginning farmers) and maximize the involvement of farmers and ranchers and community organizations. Projects can include, but are not limited to:
    • Market analysis and strategic planning for a direct producer-to-consumer market opportunity.
    • Local farmer, rancher, or market manager startup training and education.
    • Farmers market, roadside stand, CSA, agritourism or online sales activity startup, operation and/or expansion.
    • Recruitment, outreach and retention of new and beginning farmers and ranchers, as well as to consumers in support of direct producer-to-consumer markets.
• Community Development Training and Technical Assistance (CTA)
  • CTA projects are intended to assist applicants’ efforts to provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to farm and ranch operations serving local markets and other interested parties for developing, coordinating, and expanding domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, CSA programs, agritourism activities, online sales, or other direct producer-to-consumer (including direct producer-toretail, direct producer-to-restaurant and direct producer-to-institutional marketing) market opportunities. CTA projects should engage a diverse set of local and regional food stakeholders, including farmers and ranchers, to illustrate a substantive effect on the local and regional food system and stakeholders. Projects can include, but are not limited to:
    • Conducting statewide or regional training for farmers, ranchers, or managers(i.e., farmers market manager) to help them develop or maintain their own direct producer-to-consumer enterprise.
    • Assisting farmers and ranchers in advertising and promoting their locally and regionally produced agricultural products, including value-added products, through training and technical assistance
    • Establishing or expanding producer-to-consumer networks and organizations on a state, regional, and national level, which includes efforts to develop sourcing channels using direct producer-to consumer market opportunities with corporate, non-profit, and institutional buyers.
    • Providing technical support for small- and mid-sized producers to become compliant with regulatory and buyer specifications and standards to increase their direct market opportunities.

Projects are not eligible for consideration if the proposed activities:

• Are not related to producer-to-consumer direct marketing;
• Are for production related expenses, including food production and the purchase of farm equipment, tools, materials, supplies and other related costs;
• Depend on the purchase or lease-to-own of a vehicle—vehicles can be leased, but not leased-to own or purchased;
• Benefit only one agricultural producer, vendor, or individual.
• Promote general food consumption (unrelated to a specific product or service);
• Depend upon a critical component (such as land and structures) not in place or useable at the time of application;
• Depend upon the completion of another project or the receipt of another grant.
• Duplicate activities in a project that has received a Federal award from another Federal award program, including FMLFPP.

Priority Areas

• Priority consideration will be given to projects that benefit communities located in areas of concentrated poverty with limited access to supermarkets or locally or regionally grown food. AMS does not require applicants to conduct projects in priority areas to be eligible to apply or receive grant funds.
• If requesting low income/low food access (LI/LA) priority consideration, the project’s implementation address must be in a LI/LA census tract, as defined by the four major map layers on the ERS Food Access Research Atlas. “Implementation address” refers to the street address or census tract location within the targeted community (LI/LA census tract) at which the applicant plans to conduct or deliver approved project activities.
• The applicant must provide its census tract(s) for at least one LI/LA address (priority area). If your organization or business is located in and/or primarily serves at least one LI/LA community, your application will be considered under this priority area.

Funding Information

• Award Ceiling: $500,000
• Award Floor: $50,0
• Estimated Total Program Funding: $13,500,000

Eligibility Criteria

• All applicants must be domestic entities owned, operated, and located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or Tribal Governments.
• Eligible applicants include:
  • Agricultural Businesses or Cooperatives: Business entities, member-owned entities or businesses that provide, hold, deliver, transport, offer, or sell agricultural products or services for member benefit as well as the organization or other business that they represent.
  • Producer Networks or Association: Producer group- or member-owned organizations or businesses that provide, offer, or sell agricultural products or services through a common distribution system for the mutual member benefit as well as organizations or other businesses that assist, represent, or serve producers or producer networks.
  • CSA Networks or Associations: Formal groups of farms that work collectively to offer consumers: regular (usually weekly) deliveries of locally-grown farm products during one or more harvest season(s) often on a subscription or membership basis. This includes organizations or other businesses that assist, serve, or represent CSAs or CSA networks. Customers have access to a selected share or range of farm products offered by the group of farmers based on partial or total advance payment of a subscription or membership fee.
  • Food Council: Food policy council or food and farm system network that represents multiple organizations involved in the production, processing, and consumption of food, as well as local, Tribal, or State governments; and that addresses food and farm-related issues and needs within city, county, State, Tribal region, multicounty region, or other region designated by the food council or food system network.
  • Local Governments: Any unit of government within a state, including a county; borough; municipality; city; town; township; parish; local public authority, including any public housing agency under the United States Housing Act of 1937 (50 Stat. 888 (P.L. 75—412); special district; school district; intrastate district; council of governments, whether or not incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law; and any other agency or instrumentality of a multi-state, regional, or intra-state or local government.
  • Nonprofit Corporations: Any organization or institution, including nonprofits with State or IRS 501 (c) status and accredited institutions of higher education, where no part of the organization’s or institution’s net earnings inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.
  • Public Benefit Corporations: Corporations organized to construct or operate a public improvement, the profits from which inure to the benefit of one or more State or to the people therein.
  • Economic Development Corporations: Organizations whose missions are to improve, maintain, develop and/or market, or promote a specific geographic area.
  • Regional Farmers Market Authorities:  Entities that establish and enforce regional, State, or county policies and jurisdiction over State, regional, or county farmers markets. State agencies are eligible if their State’s regulatory statutes identify the specific State agency as a regional farmers market authority.
  • Tribal Governments: Governing bodies or governmental agencies of any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community (including any native village of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, 85 Stat. 688 (43 U.S.C. § 1602)) certified by the Secretary of the Interior as eligible for the special programs and services provided through the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=325139