ENFIELD, Conn. — The Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Program, a joint effort of Farm Credit East, Yankee Farm Credit and CoBank, recently provided more than $45,000 in grant funding to 22 organizations for their efforts to support young and beginning farmer initiatives, encourage youth leadership development, and promote northeast agriculture, forestry and commercial fishing.
Recipients included programs to support leadership development and education of the industry’s next generation. Programs receiving funding include the Northeast Cooperative Council’s Leaders Forum, the New York Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference, the New Jersey Junior Breeders’ Symposium, Farm and Community Collaborative Inc.’s Farm to Future program, the Intervale Center Land Access program, Maine Organic Farmer and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) educational programs.
Other recipients included youth educational programs such as Capital Roots’ youth job readiness program, the New Haven Land Trust Growing Entrepreneurs Program, the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Mass. Teen Summit, and both the Rutgers University and University of New Hampshire’s 4-H programs.
Additionally, the most recent round of funding supported research programs and various efforts to engage consumers and connect agricultural producers with the community including a project from the New England Dairy and Food Council. Other projects funded include those to study the economics of Northeast agriculture including projects from the Adirondack Council and Essex Farm Institute and NOFA Vermont.
Eight other organizations also received grant funds for projects consistent with Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement’s mission, such as networking events, research and training programs.
Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Program
- Created: 1996
- Total grant dollars since 1996: $2,475,747
- Total projects supported: 902
- Proposal submission dates: April 1, August 1, December 1
- Contact: Kyle Bell, Farm Credit East, 240 South Road, Enfield CT 06082
- Phone: 800.562.2235
- Send funding proposals to: AgEnhancement@FarmCreditEast.com
- For more information: FarmCreditEast.com/Industry-Support.aspx
–Farm Credit East