The Jean Ambrose Champion of Community Development Award recognizes an individual who, through their work, professionally or as a volunteer, has made a significant difference in the well-being of West Virginia's communities and the citizens who live in them.

This award is focused on statewide impact, and will be presented annually to the person who best exemplifies Jean Ambrose's spirit of energy, enthusiasm and commitment to improving the state of West Virginia and its communities.

The Hub is inviting nominations of individuals who may be considered for this award. The Champion of Community Development Award winner will be chosen by a panel consisting of Hub staff and board members, and stakeholders in the Community Development Network. The deadline for nominations is April 15.

The nomination form is available here.

The Farmers Market Coalition has partnered with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to provide eligible farmers markets and direct marketing farmers with free electronic benefit transfer (EBT) equipment necessary to process Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. 

FMC will cover the costs of purchasing or renting SNAP EBT equipment and services (set-up costs, monthly service fees, and wireless fees) for up to three years. After their application has been approved, eligible farmers and farmers markets will choose their own SNAP EBT service provider from a list of participating companies. Transaction fees (for SNAP EBT, credit, and debit payments) will not be covered.

To read more and find an application, click here. 

Patagonia funds only environmental work. We are most interested in making grants to organizations that identify and work on the root causes of problems and that approach issues with a commitment to long-term change. Because we believe that the most direct path to real change is through building grassroots momentum, our funding focuses on organizations that create a strong base of citizen support. For eligibility and application information click here. 

The West Virginia Farmers Market Association is trying to bridge the participation gap in the Summer Food Service Program (only 16% of eligible kids participate), by bringing meals to kids where they are, instead of tackling the transportation challenge we have here in West Virginia. If you are interested in feeding kids at your site (farmers market), it a very simple process. First, we will check your location to make sure you are eligible in terms of free/reduced population, census and/or census block grouping data. If you are, the next step is matching you with a sponsor to provide and deliver your meals.

If doesn't matter if your Farmers Market is only open one day per week. Farmers Markets are a great way to feed more kids this summer! Hunger doesn't take a summer vacation. To find out more and to get matched with a sponsor, please call or email Amy Wentz Berner at the Department of Education, Office of Child Nutrition at 304-558 3396 or email aberner@k12.wv.us 

Read more about this initiative here.

The West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition is offering three mini-grants of $3,000-$3500 each to support aggregation projects across the state. Grantees can use funding for a variety of projects, but funding must enhance the efforts and sustainability of aggregating local food. Specifically, funding can be used for startup aggregation/food hub projects or existing aggregators/food hubs for business coaching, addition of staff, equipment, marketing, or other tactics to become more sustainable and implement business and/or logistics plans. By the end of the grant period, grantees will receive business and production planning and will have authored a business plan.

Grant funds will be distributed by May 2015 and the grant period will run until December 31, 2015. Find the RFP here. 

The Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program provides a combined total of $26.6 million divided equally between its two grant programs. The FMPP provides $13.3 million to support projects for direct farmer-to-consumer marketing projects such as farmers markets, community-supported agriculture programs, roadside stands, and agritourism. The LFPP offers $13.3 million in funds for projects that support intermediary supply chain activities for businesses that process, distribute, aggregate, and store locally- or regionally-produced food products. For the complete RFP and eligibility information, click here.

This AFRI Challenge Area focuses on the priority to mitigate and adapt to climate variability and change. It supports activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration in agricultural and forest production systems, and prepare the nation's agriculture and forests to adapt to variable climates. The long-term outcome for this program is to reduce the use of energy, nitrogen fertilizer, and water by ten percent and increase carbon sequestration by fifteen percent through resilient agriculture and forest production systems. In order to achieve this outcome, this program will support multi-function Integrated Research, Education, and/or Extension Projects and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants applications that address one of the Program Area Priorities. Application and information here. 

The goal of the Food Security Challenge Area for FY 2015 is to develop agricultural production research, education, and extension to develop more sustainable, productive, and economically viable plant and animal production systems. This program will also develop regionally adapted crop cultivars and livestock/breeds that contribute to rural economic development and prosperity while enhancing food security. These investments will increase food security by improving agricultural production systems at the regional and national levels and by encouraging diversification of agricultural production. Eligible applicants include:

• Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• For profit organizations other than small businesses
• Small businesses
• Private institutions of higher education
• Individuals

Community teams that attend the Try This conference can apply for mini-grants to jump-start a community project. These are collaborative grants. Teams of at least three people who attend the conference can apply. 

An example: If a community decided they wanted a hightunnel greenhouse to feed a food pantry, for instance, community team might include the farmers market, the food pantry, the town government, and a local group that pledged to tend it. A sturdy mid-size greenhouse now costs about $1,000.

Mini-grants range from $500 to $3,000. They are available to community-based teams that attend the Try This conference. At least three members of your team must attend. They must represent three different organizations or institutions. These are competitive grants, with no guarantee of an award.

Click here for the full RFP. 

The American Heart Association and the West Virginia Farmers Market Association are partnering to put together the WV Farmers Market Fresh Recipe Challenge! We are looking for great recipes, showcasing WV Farmers Market products, to be featured in an upcoming recipe book. This is a great way to show off your skills in the kitchen and your pride in your WV farmers market! We want to change the conversation about what it is like to eat like a West Virginian, while highlighting fresh local products grown by the farmers in your very own West Virginia communities.

More information and the submission form is available here.