The deadline to apply for the second round of funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities is approaching.
This funding pool in the current round includes proposals starting at $250,000 and is capped at just less than $5 million to $4,999,999, with emphasis on small and underserved producers' enrollment, in addition to monitoring, reporting and verification activities at minority-serving institutions, according to a May 26 news release.
"From the very beginning, we have ensured that this effort is inclusive of a broad cross section of agriculture," USDA Farm Production and Conservation Undersecretary Robert Bonnie said in the release. "In this funding pool, we're especially looking for innovative approaches that expand markets for small and historically underserved producers."
The first round of funding closed May 6, according to the release, and included more than 450 proposals from more than 350 groups spanning each state in the country as well as Tribal lands and territories. Some common commodities covered in the proposals include beef, dairy, corn, soybeans, timber and forests, hemp and rice.
“We’re excited to see the many innovative projects designed to build new opportunities for these producers," Bonnie added, according to the release. "The sheer numbers of applications we’ve already received is a testament to the high interest in this opportunity.”
