[CED/CD/EAT] FW: 2020 USDA’s Community Prosperity Funding Opportunity to Assist Persistent Poverty Farmers, Ranchers, Agriculture Producers, and Communities through Agriculture Resources

[Silvertooth, Jeffrey C - (silverto)]

Jeffrey C. Silvertooth, Ph.D.
Associate Dean
Director for Extension & Economic Development
Division of Agriculture, Life, & Veterinary Sciences, and Cooperative Extension
Forbes 301, Bldg. #36
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ       85721-0036
520-621-7205

From: Gonzalez Jr., Roberto - OPPE, Calexico, CA <roberto.gonzalez at usda.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2020 1:31 PM
To: Ogden, Kimberly L - (ogden) <ogden at arizona.edu>; Burgess, Shane C - (shaneburgess) <sburgess at cals.arizona.edu>; Hunt, James E - (jeh) <JHunt at ag.arizona.edu>; Pawar, Sangita C - (sangita) <sangita at arizona.edu>; Mester, John Clark - (jmester) <jmester at arizona.edu>; Patten, Kim J - (kjpatten) <kjpatten at arizona.edu>; Coffey, Courtney - (ccoffey) <ccoffey at arizona.edu>; Silvertooth, Jeffrey C - (silverto) <Silver at ag.arizona.edu>
Subject: [EXT] 2020 USDA’s Community Prosperity Funding Opportunity to Assist Persistent Poverty Farmers, Ranchers, Agriculture Producers, and Communities through Agriculture Resources


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2020 USDA’s Community Prosperity Funding Opportunity to Assist Persistent Poverty Farmers, Ranchers, Agriculture Producers, and Communities through Agriculture Resources

USDA-OPPE solicits applications for grants, e.g. nonprofit organizations having a 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); private/public or state-controlled institutions of higher education, such as: Hispanic-Serving Institutions; other eligible entities.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/10/2020-14325/funding-opportunity-announcement-solicitation-for-applications-to-assist-persistent-poverty-farmers

Eligible entities may compete for funding on projects that provide outreach, education and training in agriculture, conservation, agribusiness, and forestry, with a focus on economic and workforce development, innovation and technology, and quality of life through food and agriculture. This partnership includes working closely with USDA-OPPE, USDA Liaisons and the State Food and Agriculture Council (SFAC) to coordinate outreach and training events and attend USDA-OPPE events in your proposed service territory.

Deadline: August 24, 2020
Agency/Docket Number: OPPE-015

Only one proposal will be accepted from each organization.  USDA-OPPE awards funds to one eligible applicant as the lead award recipient. Please indicate a lead applicant as the responsible party, if other organizations are named as partners or co-applicants or members of a coalition or consortium. The lead award recipient will be held accountable for the proper administrative requirements and expenditure of all funds.

·         The maximum project period is 3 years.
·         The maximum amount of requested federal funding for projects shall not exceed $450,000 over the 3-year period.
·         Additionally, the maximum award per year is $150,000.  USDA-OPPE has the discretion to fund multi-year projects in an effort to maximize outreach, education and technical assistance ensuring geographical distribution of funds.

Cost-Sharing or Matching: There are no cost-sharing nor matching requirements associated with this funding announcement.

Proposals must be divided into the following sections and are limited to the number of pages stated per section:

Each page must be on numbered 81/2″ × 11″ paper with one-inch margins. The text of the proposal must be double spaced and typed in New Times Roman, no smaller than 12-point font and must not exceed 10 pages. Letters of support and are not included in the page restriction.

a. Project Summary: 250 words maximum.
b. Introduction: One (1) page maximum.
c. Needs Assessment: One (2) page maximum.
d. Program Objectives: One (2) page maximum.
e. Methods: Two (2) page maximum plus Deliverables Table.
f. Budget: One (1) page maximum.
g. Evaluation: 250 words maximum.

Sub-Awards and Partnerships:  Funding may be used to provide sub-awards, which includes using sub-awards to fund partnerships; however, the recipient must utilize at least 50 percent of the total funds awarded, and no more than three sub-awards will be permitted. All sub-awardees must comply with applicable requirements for sub-awards. Applicants must provide documentation of a competitive bidding process for services, contracts, and products, including consultants and contractors, and conduct cost and price analyses to the extent required by applicable procurement regulations.

The overall goal is to develop partnerships with eligible entities to expand outreach and assistance to help socially disadvantaged and historically underserved farmers, ranchers, ag producers and communities in persistent poverty areas, including in Opportunity Zones, through the agriculture sector to foster hope and opportunity, build assets and create wealth.

Eligible entities will identify communities to receive tailored technical assistance and support by organizing and facilitating summits and training through partnerships with the USDA Liaisons and SFAC.  Entities will establish a local prosperity council that consists of (but not limited to) the mayor, county planning committee, board of supervisors, superintendents and Board of Education, farmers, ranchers, agriculture producers, faith-based, etc. to focus on locally driven, bottom up solutions to address communities self-identified challenges and issues.

Funds will be for the purpose of leveraging USDA, state, local and private sector resources, to address local agricultural and natural resource issues, encourage collaboration and to develop state and local leadership and partnerships to assist limited resource and socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers, ranchers, agricultural producers and communities through agriculture industries. The eligible entities will provide technical assistance to persistent poverty communities, with emphasis on socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers to assist them in establishing a local working leaders group, identifying issues, challenges and assets, preparing a plan of action and identifying resources and means to address and accomplish results through available programmatic services and opportunities.

Funds will be awarded to eligible entities that have documented knowledge of and experience with USDA programs, experience in providing agricultural education or other agricultural-related services to socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers, experience with economic development in persistent poverty areas, and in developing partnerships with relevant entities and individuals to reach a common goal.

USDA-OPPE is committed to ensuring that socially disadvantaged, historically underserved (including limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers) are able to equitably participate in USDA programs; eligible entities with an expertise in working within rural persistent poverty areas of socially disadvantaged or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers can play a critical role in addressing the unique difficulties they face and can help improve their ability to start and maintain successful agricultural businesses and create sustainable growing communities. With this funding, organizations must establish partnerships to provide local agricultural education and training and extend outreach efforts to connect with and assist local socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers to provide them with information on available USDA resources.

The purpose of this funding is to leverage USDA and partnering entities to assist persistent poverty communities with socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers, to improve, restore, maintain natural resources and growth in their communities through an established platform and process that focuses on fostering hope and opportunity, asset building and wealth creation. In addition, funding may be used to educate and assist persistent poverty communities with socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers on accessing resources and opportunities available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Through the approved grant, organizations will assist persistent poverty communities and farmers, ranchers and agriculture producers by developing partnerships and strategies to address self-identified challenges and issues to:

1. Enhance coordination and collaboration through outreach, education, and training summits and workshops;

2. Educate persistent poverty communities with limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers and ranchers on increasing their access to and participation in USDA programs;

3. Assist persistent poverty communities to become economically sustainable through a locally driven bottom-up process;

4. Assist persistent poverty communities with limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers to build and strengthen access to USDA programmatic services and opportunities that promote economic and community development;

5. Improve natural resources concerns;

6. Increase the number of agriculture producers;

7. Improve the environment and economic status of working agriculture lands;

8. Create Local Prosperity Councils through coordination and collaboration of USDA local officials, community leaders, farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers;

9. Develop plans to create sustainable communities that address self-identified challenges through the agriculture industry.

Proposals from eligible entities must address at least five of the following priority areas:

1. Increased access of USDA's programs and services.

2. Resolution of heirs' property issues.

3. Improved financial literacy.

4. Increased and retained new entrepreneurs in agriculture industry to include farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers.

5. Improved knowledge of agriculture business understanding.

6. Promotion of USDA programs and services to build capacity to promote economic and workforce development, innovation and technology through the agriculture industry.

7. Improved knowledge of agriculture and natural resources.

8. Increased use or implementation of conservation practices.

Eligible projects will increase the delivery of agriculture and conservation assistance to limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers through coordinating and leveraging program outreach and technical assistance to manage natural resources. Outreach projects should focus on assisting socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers with all aspects of participating in USDA programs, including understanding and assisting in the program application process.

Eligible projects will identify and organize persistent poverty communities that include farmers, ranchers and agriculture producers to identify key challenges and develop strategies to assist them through agriculture industries to become economically sustainable, safe, educated and prosperous. Projects must follow the program summary six-step action items required and target economic development, innovation and technology, workforce development and quality of life.

The following steps will be required of all successful awardees:

(a) Identify persistent poverty communities https://www.ers.usda.gov/​data-products/​county-typology-codes.aspx, including communities located in Opportunity Zones, with limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers. Assist with identifying local leaders and partners to create a Local Prosperity Council to champion in order to carry out local efforts needed to engage Federal, state, and local partners, to connect them with USDA programs and resources.

(b) Conduct an assessment of local challenges and issues within identified communities. This step is to list and describe, with appropriate detail, resources needed to assist the local community. These should be concrete, practical opportunities for partnerships or projects of interest to the Local Prosperity Council.

(c) List all local assets with a detailed description of each one. This step is required to identify and describe all local assets and community resources that are being leveraged by the Local Prosperity Council to accomplish its goals.

(d) Identify key collaborators and partners. This should be a list of potential and existing community partners with contact information.

(e) Describe ongoing implementation efforts in the community. Additional information must be provided, in narrative form, regarding steps that stakeholders in the community have taken to address the challenges independently.

(f) Provide technical assistance to communities applying for programmatic resources, services, and opportunities. Host in-person and/or online trainings for socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers in persistent poverty areas (https://www.ers.usda.gov/​data-products/​county-typology-codes.aspx), including in Opportunity Zones (https://www.irs.gov/​pub/​irs-drop/​n-18-48.pdf). Trainings can include, but are not limited to bringing awareness to USDA capacity building programs, conservation awareness, urban agriculture awareness, and other types of trainings and workshops.

Anticipated Outputs (Activities), Outcomes (Results), and Performance Measures.  Examples include but are not limited to the following:

a.    Number of limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers or ranchers served or trained;

b.    number of trainings held and number of limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers that attended;

c.     number of local prosperity councils with self-identified challenges and assessments;

d.    number of persistent poverty communities, including communities in Opportunity Zones, identified;

e.    number of USDA agencies providing resources;

f.      number of programs and resources applied for by communities and limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers;

g.    number of mentors and local leaders identified;

h.    number of State and local resources leveraged;

i.      number of private sector partners and resources leveraged;

j.      creation of a program to enhance the operational viability of limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers;

k.     number of limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers and/or ranchers and agricultural producer applications assisted with submitting for consideration for USDA programs;

l.      activity that supports increased participation of limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers in USDA programs; or

m.   Partnerships formed locally to improve access to USDA's programs and services.

Outcomes (Results).  Examples including, but not limited to the following:

a.    Documenting the number of new farmers and/or ranchers your organization assisted as a result of your project and the type of assistance;

b.    Documenting the number of local prosperity councils created; Document the number of assessments, plans and strategies developed;

c.     Documenting race, sex, national origin, disability and number of limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers or ranchers applying for USDA programs and services by program area;

d.    Documenting race, sex, national origin, disability and number of USDA program applications approved for funding, by program area, for socially disadvantaged or veteran farmers or ranchers as a result of your activities;

e.    Documenting the number of limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers and ranchers that have better access to USDA Programs, including conservation implementation, as a result of your outreach and/or training efforts;

f.      Documenting the enhanced sustainability and retention of farming operations among limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers or ranchers;

g.    Documenting higher profitability and economic stability among limited resource, socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers or ranchers resulting from increased access to marketing and enhanced sales opportunities for their products;

h.    Documenting an increase in the number and types of USDA programs and services utilized as a result of your project; and

i. Documenting partnerships and resources leveraged, including a list of all individuals, parties, entities or organization.

Consider the following questions when developing performance measurement statements:

a.    What is the measurable short-term and long-term impact your project will have on serving the needs of historically underserved farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers?

b.    How will your organization measure the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed activities to meet the overall goals and objectives for this project?

c.     How will your project track the compilation of a complete assessment of local challenges and document how the connection will be made to link them with available resources for assistance?

d.      Who can you best partner with to leverage resources available to assist historically underserved farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers?




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