Small food retailers and small family farmers will soon be able to apply for grants of up to $50,000 to expand access to healthy food in low income and underserved areas of the state. The Small Food Business Recovery & Resilience Grant, offered by the Community Food Access program at the Colorado Department of Agriculture, will start accepting applications tomorrow.
In the 1980s, G.I. Joe: Real American Hero animated TV series concluded each cartoon episode with a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for children: “Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!”
Emergency preparedness and disaster management for a farm, ranch, or ag business follows that same mantra. If you know how to prepare, respond, and recover from an animal disease incursion or a natural disaster like flooding or wildfire, then you just need to follow your plan and act accordingly.
The NextGen Leadership Grant Program, which supports the next generation in agriculture through scholarships, career development, and other leadership training opportunities, is now taking applications from agricultural organizations and educational institutions that support developmental and training opportunities for people going into the broad and diverse food and agricultural industry. The competitive grants will fund up to $25,000 per project with $120,000 in total funding available.
Farm owners and operators in Colorado have a chance to learn more about the requirements of Harvest and Post Harvest Water in subpart E of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Produce Safety Rule on agricultural water requirements for covered produce.