Farm Credit Awards Efforts to Develop and Promote Northeast Agriculture

The Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Program, a joint effort of Farm Credit East, Yankee Farm Credit and CoBank, recently provided more than $62,000 in grant funding to 19 organizations. With this latest round of funding, the program surpassed $2.5 million provided to various efforts to support young and beginning farmer initiatives, encourage youth leadership development, and promote northeast agriculture, forestry and commercial fishing, since the Northeast AgEnhancement program’s inception.

The most recent grant funding supported projects and programs that enhance agricultural education, recognize industry leaders, educate consumers and community leaders, and support producer training and development. While COVID-19 caused some grant recipients to reschedule their programs for next year, others were able to alter their plans to be able to safely conduct programs.

Recipients implementing projects to develop the next generation of producers include Maine TREE Foundation, America’s Grow-a-Row, Cornell Dairy Fellows, New Hampshire and Vermont Holstein Association, New Jersey Agricultural Society, New York Farm Bureau Foundation for Agricultural Education, and the Northeast Youth Sheep Show.

 

 

Maine Farmland Trust, New York Animal Agriculture Coalition, Gulf of Maine Research Institute and the Greater Buffalo Urban Growers plan to use grant funds to implement projects to educate the public. Additionally, the Massachusetts Farmers’ Markets and All Farmers aim to use grant awards to improve infrastructure to comply with health and safety guidance.

The Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Program was created in 1996 to support projects that promote and enhance the region’s agricultural community. Since inception, the program has provided more than $2.5 million in grant funding to over 900 projects. Submissions for the next round of grant funding are due by August 1. Visit FarmCreditEast.com/AgEnhancement to learn more.