$250,000 in Agricultural Development Grants Announced by Commissioner Walt Whitcomb

 

AUGUSTA CIVIC CENTER – Commissioner Walt Whitcomb announced eight (8) Agricultural Development Grant Program awards totaling nearly $250,000 at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show today. The projects address needs in the agricultural industry for development of livestock processing; improved utilization and profitability of Maine grown crops; product enhancements for nutrition and/or food safety; and alternative markets or diversification including merchandising, farm stands, rural tours and educational opportunities.

“Maine has the most farms and the greatest diversity of food production in New England,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “The potential to produce and sell Maine products is even greater when you consider Maine’s reputation for quality and the growing interest in locally grown foods. The investments being announced today strengthen Maine agriculture and will help farmers and producers realize their full economic potential.” 

Commissioner Walt Whitcomb highlighted the efforts of the review committee and its careful selection of projects from dozens of competitive applications.

“Selected proposals incorporated one or more of four priorities: development of livestock processing; improved utilization and profitability of Maine grown crops; product enhancements for nutrition and/or food safety; and alternative markets or diversification including merchandising, farm stands, rural tours and educational opportunities,” said Whitcomb. “We congratulate the grantees and look forward to successful implementation of their projects.”

The preliminary selections were chosen by a review committee from 30 qualified proposals submitted in response to a formal Request For Proposals (RFP). Out of the total thirty (30) qualified proposals received and reviewed by a committee in a competitive review process, eight (8) projects have been tentatively identified pending approval by the State of Maine Purchases Division and the successful completion of a State of Maine contract. These projects have been identified as:

• Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (Wiscasset) - Ethnic Produce: Crop Diversification for Maine Farmers to Reach New Markets
• Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine (Orono) - 2016 Wild Blueberry Metro Marketing Program
• Lakeside Family Farm (Newport) - Farm-to-Workplace: Bringing More Maine Food to Maine People
• Bartlettyarns, Inc. (Harmony) - Commercial Wool Baler
• Apple Ridge Farms, Inc. (Appleton) - New Technology Vinegar Acetator
• Aroostook Hops, LLC (Westfield) - Creating a hop pelletizing facility to produce Maine-grown and pelletized hops
• Appleton Creamery (Appleton) - Appleton Cheese Trail
• LaJoie Growers, LLC (Van Buren) - Diversifying Farm Products with Cold Storage Capacity

Agricultural Development Grant Program

In 2014, the Legislature approved Department language that improved access to the Agricultural Development Fund. The Department identified the agricultural industry need for accelerating new market development, adoption of improved technology and promotion of agricultural products produced in Maine.  

The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may allocate the grant funds among projects involving market research, market promotion, or a combination of those activities for the purpose of expanding existing markets and developing new markets for agricultural products produced in Maine; or for testing and demonstrating new technologies related to the production, storage or processing of State agricultural products.

It is anticipated that another Agricultural Development Fund RFP will be released in the future.

Maine Office of Tourism Awards $110,000 in Enterprise Marketing Grants

01/13/2016 10:39 AM EST

AUGUSTA - The Maine Office of Tourism (MOT) has awarded over $110,000 in Enterprise Marketing Grants and Special Event Marketing Grants to 12 applicants through the MOT's Maine Tourism Marketing Partner Program.

The Tourism Enterprise Marketing Grants program was established in 2014 to support the tourism-related projects of smaller organizations with funding that can help them grow or launch new initiatives. Grants are reviewed and awarded biannually, and range from $2,500-$10,000.

"These grants will help connect visitors to some of Maine's distinctive experiences, and expand awareness of the diversity of these adventure, culinary, cultural and retail experiences throughout the state," said Carolann Ouellette, director of the Maine Office of Tourism.

Projects supported in the fall 2015 grant cycle are:

Shop Second Saturday, Retail Association of Maine- $10,000 - Funds will support video creation and paid advertising on broadcast, digital and social media to attract visitors to Maine each month for a weekend of specials statewide.

Emerge Film Festival - $5,750 - 2016 is the second year for this well-organized Lewiston/Auburn -based festival. Funds will expand efforts to reach a broader Maine and out-of-state market and build visitation during Maine's "shoulder season" in April.

Acadia National Park Centennial, Friends of Acadia - $6,600 - Funds will expand promotion of this year long, world-welcoming celebration and once-in-a-lifetime event that will attract visitors nationally and globally, in coordination with the National Park Service 100th anniversary celebration in 2016.

Freeport USA - $10,000 - The grant will help fund the creation of a series of 30-second YouTube videos to showcase the experiences Freeport has to offer to a younger market through social media.

Maine Fiberarts - $5,000 - Maine Fiberarts promotes a statewide network of fiber artists, crafters and farms. Funds will support the production and distribution of Fiberarts Trip Itinerary Cards.

Maine Science Festival - $6,000 - This well-attended festival offers free admission and attracts families to the Bangor area during the shoulder season in late March. Funding will provide assets to reach the tech-savvy participants through social media.

Maine Island Trail Association - $3,500 - Funds will support digital advertising to attract out-of-state boaters to the MITA website, and promote awareness of the Trail App download for exploring Maine's 375-mile recreational coastal waterway.

Maine Whoopie Pie Festival - $5,000 - Celebrating Maine's official snack, this Dover-Foxcroft -based festival will promote a Whoopie Pie Trail through bakeries and the surrounding community with printed materials, radio ads, and social media.

Rangeley Lake Chamber - $5,000 - Funds will support an upgrade to the Chamber website to a responsive, mobile-friendly site, readily accessible to the four-season travelers to the Rangeley Lakes area.

Orrington Old Home Week - $2,650 - This summer festival celebrates Orrington's heritage with a wide range of activities in the Orrington and Bucksport area. Funds will support local broadcast and digital marketing, attracting visitors in the local market and enhancing the visitor experience.

Sanford International Film Festival - $9,200 - The Sanford International Film Festival provides a platform for the works of budding independent filmmakers. Funding will support an online campaign reaching a very targeted film-going audience.

Special Event Marketing Grants are designed to provide support to existing, well-established events with a broad impact on the state economy to help expand their audience. A fall 2015 Special Event Grant has been awarded to:

Maine Craft Weekend - $42,500 - Funds will support the promotion of this statewide tour of Maine craft studios, breweries, shops and events for October 2016.

The next Enterprise Marketing Grant and Special Event Marketing Grant cycle will be in Spring 2016, with applications due in May. For more information about the MOT Maine Tourism Marketing Partnership Program call Phil Savignano at 207-624-9809, or visit http://visitmaine.com/mtmpp/

Community Forestry Grants Available Through Project Canopy, the Maine Dept of Agriculture's Community Forestry Program.

 

AUGUSTA, Maine – Project Canopy, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s community forestry program, will award $150,000 in grants to local governments and municipalities, educational institutions and non-profit organizations that support community efforts to develop and maintain long-term community forestry programs. Funded by the U.S. Forest Service, the Project Canopy grants are available in two categories: planning and education grants and tree planting and maintenance grants. The average grants range from $6,000 to $8,000 and require a 50-percent cost-share with cash or in-kind services. Since 2005, Project Canopy has awarded more than $1.5 million in funding for community forestry projects. Project Canopy is a cooperative partnership between the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry’s Bureau of Forestry and GrowSmart Maine. It encourages communities to develop project proposals that support sustainable community forestry management, increase awareness of the benefits of trees and forests, and increase the health and livability of communities through sound tree planting and maintenance. Project Canopy Director Jan Ames Santerre provided recent examples of community projects that can benefit from Project Canopy grants. Projects of note in 2014 include 3 projects in Farmington ($4,000), Kennebunkport ($4,919), and Monmouth ($4,000) for shade tree inventory and management planning for street trees;. and two projects in Fort Kent ($8,000) and Ellsworth ($8,000) that allowed those towns to plant trees in town parks. “In addition to helping communities with general maintenance planning, these grants allow towns to respond to threats from invasive pests such as the emerald ash borer. They can also support community beautification through street tree planting,” said Santerre. The planning and education grants have a maximum award of $10,000, while the planting and maintenance grants have a maximum award of $8,000. To be eligible to apply for a 2015 assistance grant, all applicants must attend a grant workshop before submitting an application. The required grant training will be held Monday, November 9th from 2-4 PM via the web. The workshop will cover such topics as grant writing, project development, sustainable community forestry management and grant administration. Connection details will be sent to those preregistered to attend.  Grant applications are due by 5:00 p.m., Friday, December 4.  To learn more about the Project Canopy Assistance program and to sign up for a grant workshop, contact Project Canopy Director Jan Ames Santerre at (207) 287-4987. More information is available on the web at http://www.projectcanopy.me.

Public Notice for RFP#201510180..........Dept of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.... Agricultural Development Grant Program.......Grant money available to expand and develop marketing for Maine agricultural products.

 

We have so many small family farms in our area, we felt the need to post this grant opportunity from the Maine Deptarment of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Division of Agricultural Resource Division.

We would LOVE to see a  Farmer's Market here in Lebanon.

We are growing as a town......it's time!!!

 

Public Notice for RFP#201510180

The State of Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Division of Agricultural Resource Development has a requirement for grant proposals which, if approved, will become part of funding from the Agricultural Development Grant Program. In accordance with State procurement practices, the Department is hereby announcing the publication of a Request for Proposals (RFP# 201510180) for proposals from qualified applicants.

The 119th Legislature authorized an Agricultural Development Fund (7 M.R.S.A., Chapter 10 §306A - 309). The Legislature identified the agricultural industry need for accelerating new market development, adoption of improved technology and promotion of agricultural products produced in Maine.  

The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may allocate the grant funds among projects involving market research, market promotion, or a combination of those activities for the purpose of expanding existing markets and developing new markets for agricultural products produced in Maine; or for testing and demonstrating new technologies related to the production, storage or processing of State agricultural products. The Department has $250,000 available and may select multiple projects with maximum amounts of up to $50,000 per award.

The Commissioner has established priorities for this RFP. All submitted proposals need to be for projects which demonstrate readiness and that can be commenced immediately upon acceptance. Proposals that incorporate one or more of the priorities below will be considered more favorably in the evaluation process. They are:

1. Development of livestock processing
2. Improved utilization and profitability of Maine grown crops.
3. Product enhancements for nutrition and/or food safety.
4. Alternative markets or diversification including merchandising, farm stands, rural tours and educational opportunities.

A copy of the RFP can be obtained by contacting the Department’s RFP Coordinator for this project: Jessica Nixon, Director of Market Development. The RFP Coordinator can be reached at the following email address: Jessica.L.Nixon@maine.gov or mailing address: 28 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. The Department encourages all interested vendors to obtain a copy of the RFP and submit a competitive proposal.

2015 PROJECT CANOPY ASSISTANCE GRANTS AVAILABLE

 

Project Canopy Assistance Grants are available to state, county, and municipal governments, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations for developing and implementing community forestry projects and programs.  Project Canopy, a cooperative partnership between the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry’s Maine Forest Service and GrowSmart Maine, anticipates that $150,000 will be available to support community forestry projects in the following categories:

Planning and Education

$10,000 maximum award

Projects support sustainable community forestry management, and efforts to increase awareness of the benefits of trees and forests.

Specialized funding is available for inventory and planning for street and shade trees, with emphasis on planning and management in preparation for invasive pests such as the emerald ash borer.

Planting and Maintenance

$8,000 maximum award

Projects increase the health and livability of communities through sound tree planting and maintenance.

To be eligible to apply for 2015 Project Canopy Assistance grants, all applicants must attend a grant workshop prior to submitting an application (excluding previous workshop attendees).  Grant workshops will be scheduled for November 2015, will be held in various locations throughout the state, and will cover topics including grant writing, project development, sustainable community forestry management, and grant administration. 

Grant applications will be due to the Maine forest Service at 5:00 pm on Friday, December 4, 2015. All grants require a 50% match from the grant recipient in cash or in-kind services.

Project Canopy is funded by the USDA Forest Service Community Forestry Assistance Program. The USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program was authorized by the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (PL95-313) and revised by the 1990 Farm Bill (PL101-624) to promote natural resource management in populated areas and improve quality of life.

For complete grant application and workshop information, please visit the Project Canopy website at http://www.projectcanopy.me/grants. You can also learn more about the Project Canopy assistance program by contacting Jan Ames Santerre by phone at 207-287-4987 or by email at jan.santerre@maine.gov.

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In all its programs and activities, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Those with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202)720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer