New grant opportunity for our area (2024)

A new grant opportunity is coming to Smyth County aimed at helping livestock producers improve forage production and quality. You can learn all about the specifics of the program during a Zoom Meeting planned for Monday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m. The link to the Zoom is https://tinyurl.com/SWForage or phone: 1-301-715-8592 Meeting ID: 847 4372 5898 #.

The Forage Production Initiative for Southwest Virginia is a cost-share program administrated by the Lee County Livestock Association and funded by the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. Farmers who have operations in Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson, Buchanan, Russell, Tazewell, Washington, Smyth, Wythe, Grayson, Carroll, and Bland counties who meet the basic qualifications and fulfill the educational hours required will be eligible for funding based on first come first serve. Offering the cost-share program gives Southwest Virginia’s producers the ability to improve forage quality and storage capability.

Applications for the grant will begin on July 1 at 7:30 a.m. at the Smyth Extension Office on a first come-first served basis. Cost sharing on eligible purchases will be 33% with a cap of $5,000 per operation.

Details on what is or is not a qualifying purchase will be covered during the Zoom meeting but as for now, qualifying equipment include: No-till seed drill, lime/fertilizer spreaders, hay wrapper, manure spreader, harrow, aerator, forage and soil testing equipment, permanent and temporary fencing (boundary fencing and replacement of existing fencing is not eligible), and hay storage.

Ineligible purchases include: cost of clearing land or renovations to existing structures, labor by applications or their employees, concrete flooring, doors, used materials for hay storage, accessory farm structures such as modular/prefab car ports. All purchases must be made with a credit card or check. Cash purchases do not qualify for reimbursem*nt.

Applicants must produce at least 10 acres of hay and/or own 20 head of sheep, goats, or cattle. They must own or rent (renting must have a five-year lease) the land with FSA and tract numbers.

All applicants are required to attend or have attended an educational session aimed at improving forage production. Previously attended sessions must have taken place after July 1, 2023 and proof of attendance must be provided if the event was not hosted by Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Structures and equipment must be maintained for a minimum of five years and that maintenance is the responsibility of the applicant. Failure to meet the requirements of the grant will require the applicant to return the funds received in full.

Again, applications will be available on July 1, but applicants can prepare by gathering FSA and tract numbers and completing a W9 tax form available at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf.

Funding will run out FAST! Each county has only $20,000 of initial funding so if each applicant asks for the full amount, only four producers will be funded in round 1. Be aware that your application is NOT complete without all the required documents (Application with FSA numbers and completed W9) and your application is accepted for funding ONLY if you receive a letter stating your approval by the Disbursem*nt Oversight Committee (DOC.) That said, do not hesitate to apply even if you are assured only a place on the waiting list.

Finally, a word of caution about any cost-sharing program. The idea that cost-sharing is “free money” simply isn’t true. If you are intent on making the purchases that are included in the grant then it can be a beneficial program; however, the grant still only covers 33% of the cost of the item so the only way you will receive $5,000 is to spend a total $15,151.52.

Like all grants, this is a reimbursem*nt. You first must purchase the item(s) and upon bringing the necessary receipts (with the names and addresses of all parties on the receipts), then your purchases must have the approval from the DOC and the Tobacco Commission before refunds are paid.

That process, depending on how complicated your application is and the time between your purchase and when the DOC meets, will take somewhere between six weeks and six months. If you build a hay barn yourself and turn in 87 receipts from Lowes, it’ll be a while!

In short, if you have the available funds to make the purchase and were about to do so anyway, great! If you would only be able to afford the purchase with the funding, your best bet is to not apply, because it is still going to cost you $10,151,52.

Upcoming

June 13-15—OGATA Summer Tractor Show, 908 Hillman Hwy, Abingdon.

June 13—Southwest VA 4-H Tractor Club Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at OGATA Show.

June 17 —Grant Informational Meeting, 7:30 p.m.

June 30—Deadline to register for VT Beef University.

July 1-5—Smyth County 4-H Camp, sign-ups and deposits being taken now!

July 9—July VQA Sale, 7 p.m., Tri State Livestock Market.

July 12—Last day to consign calves to Aug. 16 VQA Sale.

July 13-15—First Ever VT Beef University, The Inn, Va Tech.

July 15—VQA Steer take up, 6-11 a.m.

July 17—VQA Heifer take up 6-11 a.m.

July 29—Goat and Lamb Shows, Rich Valley Fair, 10 a.m.

July 30—Beef and Dairy Feeder Shows, Rich Valley Fair, 10 a.m. Rich Valley Fair Toy Tractor Display Contest Set Up (all day).

July 31—Rich Valley Fair Toy Tractor Display Judging (noon).

Aug. 1—Tri-State Beef Conference, Blountville, Tenn., 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in these activities, call Andy Overbay or Pam Testerman at 276-783-5175/TDD 800-828-1120 from 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.