Grants Ranging from $1,000 – $2,500 Available to Farmers in a Five County Region
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA) is dedicated to strengthening the High Country’s local food system by supporting women and their families with resources, education, and skills related to sustainable food and agriculture. With funding from Heifer USA, a global non-profit organization dedicated to working with community to end hunger and poverty while learning to care for the earth, roughly $20,000 will be distributed to local farmers in Alleghany, Ashe, Wilkes, and Watauga counties in North Carolina and Johnson County, Tennessee.
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture is releasing a request for proposals for farmers focusing on increasing production through innovation and sustainable methods. Applications will be due by November 18, 2016 and can be found on the BRWIA website www.brwia.org/direct-to-farmer-application.html. Interested applicants must attend one of two pre-grant application clinics happening in October 2016. Details for those required clinics are as follows:
Clinic #1: Visioning Your Project (Watauga Co.)
Date: Monday October 10, 2016 from 6-9 PM
Location: Appalachian Enterprise Center, 130 Poplar Grove Connector, Boone, NC 28607
Facilitator: Chris Grasinger of Ascent Business Network and High Country Local First
Clinic #2: Knowing Your Markets (Ashe Co.)
Date: Monday October 17, 2016 from 6-8:30 PM
Location: Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corp.
(BREMCO) – Ashe Office – Community Room, 2375 NC Hwy 163, West Jefferson, NC 28694
Facilitators: Jason Roehrig and Shiloh Avery from Tumbling Shoals Farm in Millers Creek, NC
Please RSVP for one of these clinics by e-mailing sarene@brwia.org or calling 828-386-1537
Required Intent to Apply forms will be available at these clinics.