By Julie Tomascik
Editor

Growing agricultural literacy in schools and communities is a priority for Farm Bureau, and grants available from the American Farm Bureau foundation for Agriculture can help.

County Farm Bureaus may apply for grants of up to $1,000 for K-12 educational programs through the White-Reinhardt Grant Program. The grant can be used to initiate new agricultural literacy programs or expand existing programs.

“The national grant program was established to fund projects that help students cultivate a better understanding of agriculture,” said Jordan Bartels, Texas Farm Bureau associate director of Organization Division, Educational Outreach. “This grant process serves as a great way for county Farm Bureaus and local teachers to collaborate on projects that bring agriculture to life in the classroom.”

Agricultural literacy initiatives are enhanced in local communities through this grant program, according to the program coordinators.

Grants are available on a competitive basis.

Applications must be submitted by June 16.

Applications must include a timeline and detailed budget with estimated expenses, as well as a summary of the project, goals and anticipated outcomes and the target audience.

The winners will be notified in early July. Those projects selected for grants will receive one-half of the grant at the beginning of the project, and the balance upon completion of the project and submission of a final written report.

Funding is not available for mileage, field trips, wages and benefits, safety programs or one-time consumable products such as copying, paper, seeds or meals. The intent is to build capacity by funding items that can be used repeatedly.

Payments cannot be made to individuals or other organizations, only to a county Farm Bureau.

The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education is a project of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture in cooperation with the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. The fund honors two former committee chairwomen, Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, who were trailblazers in early national efforts to expand the outreach of agricultural education and improve agricultural literacy.

More information about the White-Reinhardt Grant Program is available on the White-Reinhardt Grants Application webpage.