NASHVILLE, TN (TN Tribune) – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Tennessee recently announced three competitive funding grant opportunities for fiscal year 2021.
The competitive grants will support the development of innovative production, urban agriculture, and educational outreach projects in three categories: Conservation Agreements, Urban Conservation, and Collaborative Outreach.
“Tennessee is proud to offer these grant opportunities as a means to expand areas of urban agriculture, conservation, and collaboration across the state,” said Sheldon Hightower, State Conservationist, Tennessee NRCS. “Such projects have the potential to address important issues such as food access and conservation education and to support innovative ways to increase local food production in urban environments, provide outreach to historically underserved communities, and address local natural resource concerns.”
A brief summary of each of the contribution agreements is as follows:
Conservation Agreements
- Total Funding: $400,000 (funding floor: $20,000 / funding ceiling: $100,000 – per agreement awarded)
- Number of Awards: 10
- Project Duration: 1 – 5 years
- Program Description: The purpose of these Conservation Agreements is to accomplish the following: improve and increase soil health; improve and increase water quality; improve the environmental and economic performance of working agricultural lands; address air quality concerns and carbon sequestration needs; develop quality conservation plans for effective grazing land practices; and develop, plan, and implement effective forestry practices and standards.
- Application Deadline: June 4, 2021 by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (via grants.gov)
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Urban Conservation
- Total Funding: $150,000 (funding floor: $5,000 / funding ceiling: $10,000 – per agreement awarded)
- Number of Awards: 20
- Project Duration: 1 – 3 years
- Program Description: The Tennessee NRCS Urban Conservation Project is an effort to challenge local Conservation Districts, non-profit organizations, non-government organizations, institutions of higher learning and other community partners to establish pollinator habitats and establish gardens for food production and for the establishment of seasonal high tunnels to extend the growing season of fruits and vegetables.
- Grants up to $5,000.00 will be available to fund the creation of a community and/or urban garden; grants up to $5,000.00 will be available for pollinator gardens/habitat creation; and grants up to $10,000 will be available for construction of a high tunnel.
- Application Deadline: June 7, 2021 by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (via grants.gov)
Collaborative Outreach
- Total Funding: $100,000 (funding floor: $10,000 / funding ceiling: $25,000 – per agreement awarded)
- Number of Awards: 6
- Project Duration: 1 – 3 years
- Program Description: The purpose of these Collaborative Outreach Agreements is to leverage resources with Tennessee’s partners to provide Farm Bill outreach and increase the delivery of conservation assistance to historically underserved communities through a combination of program outreach and education activities.
- Application Deadline: June 7, 2021 by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (via grants.gov)
Proposals will be accepted from eligible entities for projects located in Tennessee. Eligible entities include local conservation districts, tribal governments, non-profit organizations, non-government organizations and institutions of higher learning. Detailed information about these opportunities can be found by visiting the website at www.grants.gov.
NRCS anticipates making selections by June 30, 2021 and expects to execute awards by September 15, 2021.
