AmeriCorps VISTA job announcement

Interested in food and gardening?

• Help Dent County residents eat healthier
• Support new farm and food businesses
• Work on community gardens, farmers’ markets, and business development projects

Apply Now!

DENT COUNTY HEALTHY LIFESTYLE INITIATIVE 2008-09

Position: Food Entrepreneurship Development Associate (AmeriCorps*VISTA)

Duties:-Research best practices in food entrepreneurship, including farmer's markets, community gardening, business development, and youth entrepreneurship -Organize and coordinate the work of multiple committees of community members -Assess the educational needs and interests of aspiring food entrepreneurs (youth and adults) -Recruit and train volunteers to help deliver local educational programs -Work with local media outlets on publicity and promotion of events -Build partnerships with local organizations to implement programs
-Develop the capacity of community stakeholders to sustain food entrepreneurship activities

Minimum age: 21
Education: Associate's degree required; bachelor's degree preferred. Background in agriculture, education, business, natural resources, sociology, or a closely related field. Commensurate life experience will be considered in cases of outstanding applicants.

The University of Missouri is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

AmeriCorps*VISTA is dedicated to eliminating poverty by helping individuals and low-income communities make positive changes for themselves. Through VISTA, ordinary people provide extraordinary service in more than 1,200 projects nationwide.

AmeriCorps*VISTA Members Receive a Wealth of Benefits
Members who successfully complete a one-year term of service are eligible to receive either an AmeriCorps Education Award of up to $4,725 or an end-of-service cash stipend of $1,200.
Additional benefits include:
• Paid Training • Student loan forbearance or deferment
• Living allowance of $833 per month • Federal non-competitive employment eligibility
• Health insurance • Childcare assistance if you qualify
• Relocation expenses • Allowable mileage and expense reimbursements


For more information, contact:
Sarah Hultine, MU Extension
573.729.3196
hultines@missouri.edu

Pumpkins at the market!

McBride Family Farm will have pumpkins for sale at the market on Saturday, September 27, from 7:30 a.m. till noon. Stop by to pick up some fall decorations for Halloween!

SARE grants fund sustainable agriculture projects

Source: Debi Kelly, 573-882-1905

COLUMBIA, Mo. –Farmers and ranchers in 12 north-central states can now compete for federal grants to fund projects in sustainable agriculture.

Funding comes from the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program.

“These grants allow farmers and ranchers an opportunity to test new sustainable agriculture techniques and demonstrate how they can be used over a wider area,” said Debi Kelly, Missouri SARE co-coordinator.

The SARE program invites farmers or ranchers operating in SARE’s North Central Region, which includes Missouri, to submit proposals for projects that test and evaluate adaptable sustainable agricultural practices for their operations. Competitive grants up to $6,000 for individuals or $18,000 for groups of three or more from separate operations are available.

Applications are due by Dec. 1, 2008. Eligible states include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Missouri leads the region in number of grants won, with 85 since the program started in 1992.

Kelly said she would review any grant applications, offering suggestions to increase chances of success.

The grants are for sustainable agriculture research and education projects and not for everyday farming expenses.

During the past 16 years, these grants have funded a wide array of projects in livestock- and crop-production systems, waste management, weed and pest control, organic farming, marketing, water quality and soil conservation.

The grant application can be downloaded at http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/prod.htm.

For more information, contact MO SARE co-coordinator Debi Kelly at 573-882-1905 or kellyd@missouri.edu.

MO SARE co-coordinator K.B. Paul at Lincoln University can be reached at 573-681-5584 or paulk@lincolnu.edu.

More information about Missouri SARE is online at http://extension.missouri.edu/sare/.