USDA Invests $330 Million in Specialty Crops

USDA Also Informs Dairy Producers and Processors about New Dairy Donation Program

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2021 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of more than $330 million to help agricultural producers and organizations in the food supply chain recover from the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding announced today is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative launched in March, and includes $169.9 million for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), the availability of $75 million for Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program [GusNIP; formerly known as Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI)] grantees and approximately $80 million in payments to domestic users of upland and extra-long staple cotton. This funding will aid in developing new markets for U.S. agricultural products, expand the specialty crop food sector, and incent the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers. USDA also informed dairy producers and processors today about ongoing plans for the Dairy Donation Program (DDP) as established in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

USDA launched the Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative in March with $6.5 billion in available funding to address shortfalls and disparities in how assistance was distributed in previous COVID-19 assistance packages, with a specific focus on strengthening outreach to underserved producers and communities and small and medium agricultural operations.

“We launched USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers to respond in a broader, fairer way to the pandemic’s impact across food and agriculture, and we are following through on our promise,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in wide-ranging impacts that were felt throughout the agricultural sector. The Biden-Harris Administration is focused on ensuring that the entire agricultural sector successfully rebuilds following the pandemic, and the funding we’re announcing today will reach a broader set of producers and businesses than previous COVID-19 aid programs.”

Developing New Markets for Specialty Crops and Expanding Existing Ones

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing $169.9 million for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) to fund innovative projects designed to support the expanding specialty crop food sector and explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products. The total includes: $72.9 million available as part of the annual Farm Bill funding for the program; and

An additional $97 million available as emergency funding for applications under this solicitation. Congress provided this funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, due to COVID-19 impacts to the food system.

Grant project funding awarded as part of pandemic assistance can also go to organizations to assist farmworkers (e.g., for PPE and vaccination costs), projects to fund farmers, food businesses, and other relevant entities to respond to risks and supply chain disruption.

The SCBGP funds are allocated to U.S. states and territories based on a formula that considers both specialty crop acreage and production value. Interested applicants should apply directly through their state departments of agriculture. A listing of state contacts is available on the USDA website.

Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 11, 2021. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application. For more information about grant eligibility, visit the SCBGP website.

Incentivizing the Purchase of Fruits and Vegetables for Low-Income Consumers

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will invest $75 million as directed by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. Active Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) and Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grantees may request funding to allow them to address critical food and nutrition security needs of low-income communities, enhance the resilience of food and healthcare systems impacted by the pandemic, and maximize funds reaching participants in communities in need. The GusNIP COVID Relief and Response grants program (GusCRR) helps low-income communities improve the affordability and consumption of fruits and vegetables by vulnerable participants in communities in need. GusCRR grants will support expanded scope of work started under previous awards to address pandemic relief and respond to community needs in an impactful, timely, and authentic way. NIFA will reach out directly to GusCRR eligible applicants with additional details and a copy of the Request for Applications (RFA).

Eligibility to receive a GusCRR grant is limited to organizations with a current active GusNIP nutrition incentive grant, GusNIP produce prescription grant, or FINI grant that began prior to December 27, 2020. An eligible organization may submit only one GusCRR nutrition incentive grant application and one produce prescription application.

USDA encourages applications that benefit smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged producers, veteran producers, and/ or underserved communities. For grants intending to serve these audiences, applicants should engage and involve those beneficiaries when developing projects and applications.

USDA is also updating the currently open FY21 GusNIP RFA to more closely align with the law and extend that opportunity by two weeks to provide potential applicants additional time to consider the full range of available funding.

New Assistance for Cotton Users

USDA will provide approximately $80 million in additional payments to domestic users of upland and extra-long staple cotton to support textile mills impacted by the pandemic. Under this one-time payment program, known as the Pandemic Assistance for Cotton Users (PACU) program, USDA will pay $.06 per pound to domestic users based on a 3-year monthly average during 2017 through 2019, covering 10 months in 2020. The program and payment formula were established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

Consumption information previously submitted to USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) by domestic cotton users as participants of the Economic Adjustment AssisCont. on Page 13, See USDA Invests More Than $330 Million

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April The wind is whispering April And the woods are all aflame. Today a robin sang for me;

From southern lands he came. He brought the springtime with his song

And practiced it the whole day long.

The suns is whispering April And the buds are swelling green. The little creek is running wild Its foolish bands between; The pussy willow’s silver fur Is making vain the heart of her.

And we have tidied all the yard, Raked up the tangled grass; The little pool that father made Shines like a looking glass— Reflecting sky and clouds and trees The neighbors’ clothesline, if you please.

The wind is whispering April

And all my heart is knowing

There will clover in the fields

And new grass growing,

Daffodils on a sturdy stem, And golden bees to talk to them. - Edna Jaques

April showers have not joined us, but a gentle rain would be great for the newly planed crops and grass that is beginning to green-up.

The members of the GLAD Club welcomed spring with a luncheon in Wiggins at the Senior Center. Florence Barnett and Antoinette Pacheco welcomed the membership. Cindy Chapin, president, welcome the group before a fun time.

Funds were donated to Weldon Valley teacher for a special program, funds were also available for a student scholarship at Weldon Valley and donation was made to the Alzheimer’s association. The group also brought donations of household items for S.HA.R.E.

A program on the history of the Out West Senior Center was presented by Florence Barnett. It was in the mid 1980’s when the “Meet & Eat” met in the Catholic Church. The current building was given to the Seniors of West Morgan count in the 1987. The Senior in the community put many hours of work to get the build ready for use. A kitchen and rest room were added. The Center received grants to furniture and applicants. The building is use to benefit Senior and others in the community.

It was announced that the secret-sister gift were given by Jo Roberts and Gerri Cooper. The May meeting will be the 69th anniversary of the club.

Those present were Merri Armentrout, Carol Baber, Florence Barnett, Cindy Chapin, Gertie Chapin, Carol Covelli, Sammie Covelli, Mary Ellen Higgins, Laurie Klein, Antoinette Pacheco, Vicki Peska, and Joy Wilson

Church chat: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Weldona has mass each Sunday at 7:00 a.m. Pastor Reverend Erik Vigil and Parochial Vicar Reverend Francis Saleth share the services. Confession will celebrated before mass.

The Weldon Valley Presbyterian in Goodrich has Christian education and worship each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Contact information for Pastor Denise Shannon is 720-271-6733 or pastordeniseshannon @ gmail.

School scoop: The volleyball team has many game on the schedule. Support the team, they having a fun season. 4-H News: 4-H member working on their projects. The County Fair is in August.

What’s cookin’ : Bread Pudding-6 slices toasted bread butter, ½ cup raisins, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 3 eggs, ¾ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon, 3 cups milk. Butter toast and break into pieces into an 8 X 8 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with raisins, Beat eggs; stir in sugar, spices, salt and milk.

Pour this mixture over prepared toast. Let stand for 10 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until knife come out clean.

First facts: 1969-The Woodstock Music and At Fair opened in upstate New York.

Weldon Valley History: Church-The people of the Valley decided it was time to have a resident pastor and applied to the Synod of Colorado. In response, the

Rev. Archibold McIntyre, of the Presbytery of Santa Fe, was sent to the field in November 17th, 1898. The people met at the Goo rich School house, and the Weldon Valley Presbyterian church was organized January 1899.

Calendar of Events: Volleyball game Tuesday ,in Fort Morgan.

Thought for the day: “I have learned- That being kind is more important than being right.”

Cont. from Page 12 tance for Textile Mills (EAATM) and Special Competitive Provisions for Extra Long Staple Cotton (ELS) will be used in determining payment. USDA will send payment certifications in support of payment issuance to EAATM and ELS program participants. USDA could begin to issue payments to domestic cotton users in mid- to late April 2021.

If you were a user of domestic cotton anytime from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2019 and did not participate in EAATM or ELS programs and have documentation to support your claim according to the provisions of the Act, please contact AMS’s Warehouse and Commodity Management Division (WCMD).

Advance Notice to Trade about Dairy Donation Program

USDA will soon implement the Dairy Donation Program (DDP) as established in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. The program will facilitate the timely donation of dairy products to nonprofit organizations that distribute food to persons in need and prevent and minimize food waste. Because the statute allows retroactive reimbursements of donations made before donation and distribution plans are approved, USDA provided advance notice today of the minimum provisions to be included in the program to encourage the dairy industry to process and donate surplus milk supplies as it moves through the spring surplus milk production season. For more information, visit www.ams.usda. gov/notices.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov. #

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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