New Mexico Department of Agriculture announces two grant programs

Mar 12, 2015

Workshops to be held later on in March

In an effort to promote the state’s agriculture, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) announced two grant programs aimed to develop or expand markets for the products produced in the “Land of Enchantment”.

One program is called the New Mexico Agricultural Development and Promotional Funds. Any agricultural product is eligible for it, but the projects must be completed within a year. Grants range from $500 to $10,000 for individual applicants and up to as much as $30,000 for groups working together.

Applications to the NMDA should be submitted by May 1, 2015 and be no longer than four pages. The topics in the proposal must include the following in the following order:

Cover page – Title of project, applicant name, address and other vital information
Background and justification – Identify issue and explain why it’s important to solve that issue
Goals and objectives – Describe goals
Scope of work – How will each objective be accomplished. Include timelines/details
Support for the project – Include matching funds or other commitments to the project
Competency and expertise – Describe what makes the applicant qualified to take on the project
Expected measurable outcomes – Talk about what will be accomplished as a result of the project
Long-term prospects – Answer if the project can be sustained after the grants have been given
Budget – How much will it cost to complete the project?
Previously funded projects – Any prior funding from New Mexico

Funding is expected to begin around July 1, 2015.

The other grant announcement is the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (Specialty Crops).

“Pecans, chile, onions, greenhouse/nursery crops, pinto beans, honey – they’re all examples of specialty crops, which means marketing and promotion projects built around them could be considered for this federal funding,” said Felicia Frost, a marketing specialist at NMDA who administers New Mexico’s share of the federal funds in a release.

There are three steps applicants must follow. The concept proposal, the full grant proposal and the grant implementation.

Project funding can range from $20,000 to $75,000. The deadline to apply is April 20, 2015.

This comes just days after the USDA announced more than $66 million is being made available for research programs.

Workshops will be held on March 17 from 2 – 4pm in the NMDA Conference Room and on March 23 from 10am – 12pm at Hotel Santa Fe in the Hacienda Meeting Room to help with the application process.

Join the conversation and tell us if you plan on applying for these grants. What kind of project would you propose?

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