This page will be updated with questions that have been asked and answered about the Emerging Farmer Technical Assistance Grant. If you have questions that you'd like addressed, please submit them to Jenny Heck at Jenny.Heck@state.mn.us or 651-201-6316.
Eligibility
Are Amish farmers considered emerging farmers for this grant?
Yes, Amish and other Plain community farmers will be considered emerging farmers.
Do organizations need to be a 501(c)3 non-profit to be eligible?
No, you do not need to be a non-profit to apply. Any type of business entity is eligible (LLC, cooperative, corporation, non-profit, etc. all eligible)
Can emerging farmers themselves apply or is this only for organizations/businesses?
No, an individual or sole proprietor farmer cannot apply. However, a farmer can apply as an LLC or other business if they have farm business expertise and want to provide culturally relevant technical assistance to other farmers. The applicant can not use the grant to simply support their own farm operations.
Are expenses associated with attending agricultural conferences, teaching classes, and providing translation/interpretation eligible?
If you provide rationale for how they support your ability to provide culturally relevant business support for emerging farmers and/or outreach for those services, then yes, they could be eligible.
Are contractors/subcontractors an allowable expense for this grant program?
We don’t have any restrictions on compensation to contractors or subcontractors for the TA grant.
Grant Project
Do you provide guidance on compensation rates for folks involved in our grant project?
We encourage organizations to apply with compensation rates equivalent to their staff’s salary and comparable industry consulting rates. Generally, technical assistance for farmers ranges from $25-50 per hour, dependent on services and experience. Grant reviewers may recommend adjusting the compensation rate before approving an application.
Will providing both technical assistance and Micro Farm Crop Insurance assistance help our chances of getting this grant?
Projects will be reviewed by a committee of MDA staff and other industry experts using the scorecard published in our RFP. As noted in section 1, question 4 of the scorecard, providing both TA and insurance premium support is worth 3 out of 100 points.
How do farmers get reimbursed for their crop insurance premiums if they are not eligible to apply for this grant?
The grant will be awarded to organizations who will reimburse the farmers. With money from this grant, the organization can subsidize up to 65% of a farmer's premium payments for the USDA (RMA) Micro Farm Crop Insurance program.
For technical questions regarding the Micro Farm Crop Insurance program (ex. pricing estimates, etc.), please contact USDA/RMA:
Lane Webb, Micro Farm Lead: 816-926-1877, lane.webb@usda.gov
Please review the Request for Proposals (RFP) for complete grant eligibility, application instructions, and a copy of the scorecard reviewers will use to evaluate your application. The RFP can be found as a pdf in the 'Forms + Resources' box on the main grant page.
