Tobacco Workshop

I received this in the mail from Carl J. Cantaluppi (Extension Area Agent, Horticulture, Granville and Person Counties)

Dear Grower,

The Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) will be holding a workshop at the Person County Extension Office, 304 S. Morgan Street in Roxboro on Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 7 PM.

Mr. Joe Schroeder, of the Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Project, will be conducting the workshop to interested growers in Granville and Person counties.

The goal of the Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund is to keep farmers in farming and maintain the economic base of North Carolina's rural communities. The Reinvestment Fund aims to assist farmers and rural communities to develop new sources of agricultural income through provision of cost-share grants.

In 2010, the Reinvestment Fund will make two types of demonstration awards: Producer Grant Awards of up to $10,000 for individuals and Community Grant Awards up to $20,000 for collaborative farmer projects.

The Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund will make cost-share demonstration grants to farmers, farm organizations, and community groups in Granville and Person Counties in 2010.

Tight margins for most commodity crops and changing farm programs provide new challenges for North Carolina farmers. The purpose of the Reinvestment Fund is to help farmers to develop enterprises that allow them to earn more for their products through innovative production, processing, or marketing approaches.

To be eligible for these grants, qualifying producers must:

• Be farmers who are actively engaged in full or part-time farming

• Priority will be given to farmers who earned a significant portion of their farm income from tobacco at the time of the Master Settlement Agreement (crop years 1997 and 98) and to projects that create an opportunity for a new generation of farmers

Qualifying community groups:

• Must include qualifying farmers from Granville or Person county

• AND farmers must be active in the leadership of the group

• Groups of farmers, farm co-ops, farmer associations, churches, local business, civic organizations, or combinations of these are eligible and encouraged to apply

Eligible projects are those that:

• Have a likelihood of generating new farm income

• Establish new markets for local products and services

• Develop new uses for greenhouses

• Add value to existing farm products by processing, packaging or marketing in a special way

• Make new use of tobacco facilities and equipment

• Maintain or create quality employment, including self-employment or opportunities for home-based businesses

• Make optimal use of on-farm and natural resources

High priority will be given to projects that are innovative and demonstrate a new direction or opportunity for farmers in North Carolina

Application: Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund Demonstration Grants are awarded on a competitive application basis

The application deadline for the 2009 Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund Demonstration Award Program is November 11, 2009.

If you would like to discuss your project ideas with Mr. Joe Schroeder on the RAFI staff, please come to the meeting on Thursday, August 6, at 7 PM.