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<DIV><EM>Thanks to Gerry Miller for sending this.</EM></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANTS<BR>$2.8 MILLION IN FUNDING
AVAILABLE<BR><BR><BR>SACRAMENTO, Friday, July 18, 2008 – Secretary A.G. Kawamura
has<BR>announced that $2.8 million in federal Specialty Crop Block Grant
Funds<BR>will now be awarded on a competitive basis to qualified
applicants. <BR><BR>“Our goal is to stimulate innovation in marketing
California’s<BR>specialty crops by funding projects that can produce the highest
degree<BR>of measurable benefits to meet and exceed the needs of people around
the<BR>world—people who rely on our products, solutions and services,”
said<BR>Secretary Kawamura.<BR><BR>The $2.8 million is the combined amount from
two different grants from<BR>the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),
with two different<BR>solicitation rounds. The process and guidelines for
both rounds of<BR>grants are the same. Anyone who applies and meets the USDA
criteria will<BR>be considered, and applicants may apply for both grants.
<BR><BR>CDFA will be soliciting two-page concept papers and then
notifying<BR>those applicants who have been selected to turn in full proposals.
<BR>Based on availability of funds, final proposals will be sent to USDA
for<BR>final review and approval. Grant awards will range from $50,000
to<BR>$125,000 per project. <BR><BR>Round I—$1.6 Total Funds Available <BR>Funds
available through the Farm Bill Specialty Crop Block
Grant<BR>Program<BR>Project: CFDA #10.170<BR>Concept Proposal Due: Monday,
July 28, 2008<BR>Full Proposal Due: Wednesday, August 27, 2008<BR>Anticipated
Date of Award:October 2008<BR><BR>Round II—$1.2 Total Funds Available<BR>Funds
available through the pre-existing Specialty Crop Block
Grant<BR>legislation<BR>Project: CFDA #10.169<BR>Concept Proposal Due:
Tuesday, October 14, 2008<BR>Full Proposal Due Date:Tuesday, November 18,
2008<BR>Anticipated Date of Award:January 2009<BR><BR>Applications will be
awarded under the following areas: Trade<BR>Enhancement/Innovation;
Nutrition and Food Security/Food Safety;<BR>Agricultural Education and Outreach;
Environmental<BR>Concerns/Conservation; and Plant Pest and Health
Problems.<BR><BR>For further instructions, information and to download the
application,<BR>visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/grants. For more information, contact the
Federal<BR>Funds Management Office at 916-657-3231 or at
grants@cdfa.ca.gov.<BR><BR>-30-<BR>The California Department of Food and
Agriculture protects and promotes<BR>California’s agricultural industry.
California’s farmers and<BR>ranchers produce a safe, secure supply of food,
fiber and shelter;<BR>marketed fairly for all Californians; and produced with
responsible<BR>environmental stewardship.<BR><BR>Media Contact: Steve Lyle, CDFA
Public Affairs, 916/654-0462<BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face="Gill Sans MT" size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><BR>Laurie Davies Adams<BR>Executive Director<BR><B>Pollinator
Partnership </B><BR>423 Washington Street, 5th floor<BR>San Francisco, CA
94111<BR>415-362-1137<BR>LDA@pollinator.org</FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial
color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0
face="Gill Sans MT" color=#0000ff size=4 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="14"><B><A
href="http://www.pollinator.org/">www.pollinator.org</A></B></FONT><FONT lang=0
face="Gill Sans MT" color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"></B><BR><A
href="http://www.nappc.org/">www.nappc.org</A><BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0
face="Gill Sans MT" color=#000000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="12"><B><I>National Pollinator Week is June 22-28, 2009. <BR>Beecome
involved at <A
href="http://www.pollinator.org/">www.pollinator.org</A></I></FONT></B></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Get fantasy football with free live scoring. <A title="http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020" href="http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020" target="_blank">Sign up for FanHouse Fantasy Football today</A>.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>