Farm Credit Awards Efforts to Develop and Promote Northeast Agriculture

The Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Program, a joint effort of Farm Credit East and CoBank, recently provided $50,000 in grant funding to 12 organizations to assist their efforts to support young and beginning farmer initiatives, encourage youth leadership development, promote diversity equity and inclusion, and advance northeast agriculture, forestry and commercial fishing. Submissions for the next round of grant funding are due by December 1.

In the latest round of grants, recipients implementing projects to support young and beginning farmer initiatives, youth leadership development, and educational opportunities include: The Connecticut FFA Association; The Holstein Foundation through the Young Dairy Leaders Institute; the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries’ Eastern Maine Skippers Program; the New Jersey Agricultural Society; and the Vermont 4-H program.

Other programs focused on promoting diversity and inclusion and advancing northeast agriculture, forestry and commercial fishing include Boston Area Gleaners; KNOX, Inc.; Maine Farmland Trust in partnership with the Wolfe’s Neck Center; The Campaign Against Hunger’s Green Teens Workforce Program; and The Carrot Project in partnership with the Agricultural Viability Alliance.

Additionally, the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands will use grant funds to produce and distribute videos to increase awareness and implementation of best management practices within the northeast forestry industry; and the Vermont Forest Business School plans to create and distribute digital business development tools.

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 $3.0 million in grant funding to 1,027 projects. Submissions for the next round of grant funding are due by December 1, 2022. Visit FarmCreditEast.com/AgEnhancement to learn more. 

Farm Credit East is a member-owned cooperative with 25 locations in its eight-state service area. In addition to loans and leases, the organization also offers a full range of specialized financial services, such as tax preparation, payroll, record keeping, appraisal and consulting for farming, forest products and commercial fishing businesses. Farm Credit East is governed by a 19-person board of directors, comprised of 15 customer-elected, two customer appointed and two outside appointed directors. For more information, visit FarmCreditEast.com.