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Grant and Grow: Helping Producers Manage Financial Risk through an Annual Grant Educational Event and Grant Writing Workshop

Jessica Callen

Summary

Grants can help producers, especially new and beginning farmers and ranchers, expand their business and manage their financial risks. Despite numerous funding opportunities available throughout the year, producers consistently struggle to navigate the grant landscape due to time constraints, limited awareness of opportunities, insufficient support, and a lack of real-life understanding of writing and receiving grants. In response to this challenge, Colorado State University (CSU) Extension in Larimer County hosted the first annual Grant and Grow event on February 2, 2024, in collaboration with CSU Food Systems, Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and local ag support organizations.The event featured speakers from the USDA, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, American Farmland Trust, and the NRCS to share their 2024 grant and funding opportunities to producers. After each representative spoke, a producer with firsthand experience receiving the grant shared their insights. During the final portion of the event, a grant writing workshop provided producers with hands-on experience writing grant proposals. More than 70 producers attended the event from ten counties across the state, with some traveling more than 100 miles. The post event survey data revealed that 82% of producers are more likely to apply for grants after attending the event. Grant and Grow is expanding and being adopted by other counties in Colorado and the framework of the event could be used by other extension offices or agricultural support organizations across the U.S.

Details

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