SDSPA Educational Webinar Opportunities
We are thrilled to announce that the S.D. Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA) is launching an exciting new initiative to support and empower producers like yourself. The live recordings started in June. SDSPA is hosting weekly producer training webinars via Facebook Live, aimed at providing valuable insights, knowledge, and resources to enhance your farming and gardening practices and business.
At SDSPA, we understand the importance of continuous learning and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques in sustainable agriculture. These webinars will cover a wide range of topics relevant to producers of all levels, including organic farming methods, regenerative agriculture, soil health, market trends, and much more.
By tuning in to our Facebook Live sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to:
Learn from Industry Experts: Our webinars will feature knowledgeable speakers, experienced farmers, agricultural researchers, and other industry professionals who will share their expertise, practical tips, and best practices.
Engage in Live Q&A Sessions: We value your questions and believe in creating an interactive learning environment. During each webinar, we will reserve time for live Q&A sessions, allowing you to directly interact with our speakers and get answers to your specific queries.
Access Recorded Sessions: In case you miss a webinar or wish to revisit the content at a later time, all sessions will be recorded and made available for viewing on our Facebook page. You can easily access these recordings at your convenience.
This past month we’ve featured three guest speakers, you can access the recorded webinars on our Facebook page or follow the information shared below.
Conservation Innovation Grants
Our first topic was CIGs. CIG stands for Conservation Innovation Grants and as the name would suggest, it’s a grant program that supports the development of new tools, approaches, practices, and technologies that further natural resource conservation. Watch our interview with Rachel Frei, NRCS Urban Conservationist here:
Conservation Innovation GrantsAll this information is broken down in the Notice of Funding Agreement which is provided. As for the application itself, there are some standard documents that need to be filled out, otherwise much of the application is self-drafted and uploaded to grants.gov. The deadline for applications was June 23rd.
Learn more information about the program or apply for future funding here. If you have questions contact Rachel Frei, NRCS Urban Conservationist, at Rachel.Frei@usda.gov.
Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) Program
The second topic discussed this past month was the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program. The FSFL program offers low-interest financing options to assist farmers in building or upgrading their on-farm storage systems, such as grain bins, hay barns, cold storage units, and more.
Featuring a special guest, Abby Husted, Farm Loan Specialist! Learn about the program’s objectives, eligibility criteria, and the types of storage structures and equipment covered under the program by going to our facebook page here:
Farm Storage Facility Loan Program
Adventures in Urban Agriculture with IronFox Farm
Are you curious about the fascinating world of urban agriculture? Watch our third online interview featuring Dan and Megan EisenVos, the dynamic duo behind IronFox Farm.
Dan and Megan EisenVos founded IronFox Farm in the fall of 2021, with a mission to empower students and community by providing an educational gardening space. Through a partnership with the neighboring elementary school, they have provided hands-on garden education to 130+ 3rd and 4th grade students both years of operation. Students and their families are invited to visit the farm during scheduled open house hours to see what’s growing, harvest, and tend to the plots they planted. This summer, IronFox Farm is also part of a pilot distribution model with The Fair Market in Sioux Falls to provide surplus local, quality produce. Megan and Dan hope to inspire the city and other community members to re-envision underutilized green spaces in the city for production to improve nutrition security and community vitality for all.
Learn about innovative techniques, and discover how you can transform your own space into a thriving green oasis. Watch the interview here:
Urban Agriculture with IronFox Farm
To join our weekly producer training webinars, simply visit the SDSPA Facebook page and follow SDSPA to receive notifications when we go live. We will be broadcasting the webinars every week, ensuring flexibility for producers with different schedules.
We encourage you to spread the word among your fellow producers, as this opportunity for free knowledge-sharing is open to anyone interested in sustainable agriculture.
If you have any questions, have a topic idea, or need further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at sdspainfo@gmail.com.