Because of frequent rains during the summer, our farmers are not talking about how bad their crops were this year. Markets have remained strong, so they are not talking about the cheap prices of their commodities. But they are talking about the tobacco buyout and wondering if or when it may happen.

If the tobacco buyout does happen, one of its objectives is to provide cash to former tobacco farmers to allow them to prepare themselves for other kinds of production. Although some current tobacco farmers have indicated that if a buyout does materialize, they will retire, and others have indicated they will use the money to pay off existing debt and restructure their farm operations, so they can grow different crops.

This is one of the problems facing a lot of farmers, no matter what kind of farm operation they currently have. They have a lot of good ideas, and they want to try to do some things differently, but they do not have the money that is needed to start a new venture or to drastically change their current operation.

The Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) is providing grants to local farmers with funds received from the Tobacco Trust Fund Commission which is funded by tobacco settlement funds. Although farmers from Columbus County were eligible for these grant funds last year, this is the first year that farmers from Robeson and Bladen Counties will be allowed to apply.

The Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service is cooperating with RAFI to share information about these grants with local farmers. Extension staff members will be available to answer questions about filling out grant applications.

A meeting has been scheduled for Monday, November 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the O. P. Owens Agriculture Center, Highway 72 West, in Lumberton. The purpose of this meeting is to provide detailed information about the grants, to provide instructions about how the grant applications should be completed, and to answer any questions about the grant process.

Those interested in applying for a grant are encouraged to stop by the Extension Center and pick up a grant application packet prior to the meeting. This will provide the opportunity to learn more about the grants that are available, what kind of information will need to be provided on the application, and how the grant funds will be handled. Then a person would have a much better idea of what kind of questions to ask during the meeting.

There are actually two different kinds of grants that will be provided. Individual producers can apply for up to $10,000, and groups can apply for up to $30,000. These grants can be for either a one-year period or a two-year period. To be eligible a producer must be actively farming either full- or part-time and must have derived a significant part of their income from tobacco at the time of the Master Settlement Agreement which was 1997-98. Qualified farmers must be active in the leadership of any group applying for community grants.

Anyone considering applying for these grants is encouraged to spend some time developing a sound and reasonable plan for how the money will be used. RAFI is not interested to handing out money simply because someone wants to do something to replace tobacco.

Individual producers can consider projects that have a likelihood of replacing lost tobacco income; developing new uses for tobacco greenhouses; add value to existing farm products by processing, packaging, or marketing; or to make new uses of tobacco equipment or farm resources. Community groups can consider establishing new markets or services; using local labor for agricultural-related businesses; add value to agricultural products by handling, processing, or labeling; or create employment opportunities including self-employment or home-based businesses.

The deadline for the grant applications is January 14, 2004. There is an "Early Bird Deadline" of January 1, 2004, for those who would like to have their applications reviewed before the actual deadline and be notified if additional information will be needed.

If you have a good idea but just don't have the money that is needed to make that idea work, you should consider applying for one of these grants. If you need additional information please let me know.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 11/24/03