Farm Service Agency engages in the following types of cooperative agreements:
- Farm Bill Program Tools- with qualified universities or university-based organizations to develop,
- Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Monitoring, Assessment and Evaluation (MAE) Projects - with government agencies, academic institutions and non-profit organizations for projects that quantify Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) environmental benefits,
- Outreach and technical assistance - with non-governmental organizations or educational institutions to conduct targeted outreach and technical assistance activities with socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
Visit this page frequently for opportunities to compete for agreements and funding announcements/news.
Listing of Current Conservation MAE Partners
*List is forthcoming
Listing of Current Outreach and Technical Assistance Partners Awarded Cooperative Agreements
| ORGANIZATION | POINT OF CONTACT | FOCUS | Dates of Agreement | GEOGRAPHIC REACH |
| Headquarters | ||||
| Utah State University | Dr. Ruby Ward Email |
|
10/01/2021 – 09/28/2024 | National scope via collaboration with WDC staff |
| National | ||||
| Farmers Legal Action Group, INC. | Scott Carlson Email | ERP2, Risk Management, and Disaster Assistance
|
04/25/2023 – 12/31/2023 | US and Territories |
| Flower Hill Institute | Terri Birch Email | ERP2, Risk Management, and Disaster Assistance
|
04/26/2023 – 12/31/2023 | US and Territories |
| Intertribal Agriculture Council, Inc | Tomie Peterson Email | ERP2, Risk Management, and Disaster Assistance
|
05/01/2023 – 12/31/2023 | Continental States and Alaska |
Virginia State University with Cornell Cooperative Extension and Virginia Tech (Urban Ag. Cooperative Agreements Phase 1 National Training Lead) |
Virginia State University (vsu.edu) Brianna Stevenson National Urban Agriculture Coordinator Small Farm Outreach Program Office (804) 524-1021 Cell (804) 586-0961 bstevenson@vsu.edu |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: The goal of this project is to serve as a national program training lead focused on developing a national program for FSA to assist the needs of Urban Farmers with the tools and skills needed for them to successfully access and utilize FSA and other USDA programs and services. This project intends to increase the knowledge of Urban Ag growers in FSA programs and services, increase utilization of FSA farm operating and loan programs, and an improve quality of life for the urban communities around the United States. |
2023-2028 | National Headquarters: Petersburg, Virginia |
TIME, Inc. (Urban Ag. Cooperative Agreements Phase 2 National Training Lead) |
Dr. Cindy Ayers-Elliott |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: The TIME Inc. Urban Farm Outreach Program (UFOP), proposes to partner with the USDA Farm Service Agency in a Pilot Project to develop a National Urban Farmer Demonstration Program. TIME proposes to work with stakeholders in educating and training FSA and Urban producers by introducing them to local food systems. TIME will lead this effort by providing direction and support for up to 11 pilot Urban County Committee (UCOC) locations across the United States. |
2023-2027 | National Headquarters: Jackson, MS |
The Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center, at Alcorn State University |
Socially Disadvantaged Farmers (alcorn.edu) Eloris Speight |
Project Focus: Heirs’ Property Project Summary: The Socially Disadvantage Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center at Alcorn is leading the development and implementation of an heir’s property and fractionation issues training curriculum targeted to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFR), who are disproportionately impacted by heirs’ property and fractionation issues. The goals of this agreement are to: 1) empower and provide support to producers, 2) invest in the support systems provided for producers when seeking to resolve their heirs' property issues, and 3) equip and prepare professionals to collaborate with heirs as those heirs seek counsel and make financial and farm decisions. Through this agreement, training will be provided to service providers such as agricultural educators to better reach individual farmers. The service providers include university and extension faculty, community-based organizations, and USDA representatives. Leveraging this partnership to put resources both online and delivered in person will help us reach underserved producers with different learning needs and styles across the country. |
2022-2024 | National Headquarters: Lorman, MS |
| Multistate | ||||
| Federation of Southern Cooperatives/ Land Assistance Fund | The Federation of Southern Cooperatives
For inquiries, call 404-765-0991 and ask about “USDA FSA Heirs Property Relending Program Services”. |
Project Focus: Heirs’ Property
Project Summary: The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund (FSC/LAF) will conduct outreach and technical assistance on the Heirs Property Relending Program (“HPRP”) to ensure eligible heirs learn about the program, receive programmatic and general support when applying to the HPRP, and provide assistance to individuals working to resolve title issues to their heir's property to support their access and participation in the HPRP program. FSC/LAF will also conduct critical capacity-building work to educate and support HPRP’s intermediary lenders on heirs’ property issues and engage prospective intermediary lenders to apply to the program. |
2022-2027 |
Service Area: Producers in the states of: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina
Headquarters: Atlanta, GA |
| North South Institute | Dr Samuel Scott Email | ERP2, Risk Management, and Disaster Assistance
|
04/25/2023 – 12/31/2023 | Alabama - Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Montgomery, Pike, Wilcox Florida Georgia - Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Terrell |
| Renewing the Countryside II | Jan Joannides Email Sara George Email |
ERP2, Risk Management, and Disaster Assistance
|
05/01/2023 – 12/31/2023 | Minnesota Wisconsin |
| Rural Advancement Foundation International – USA | Lisa Misch Email | ERP2, Risk Management, and Disaster Assistance
|
04/25/2023 – 12/31/2023 | Alabama Arkansas Florida Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Virginia Washington DC Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands |
| Rural Coalition | Lorette Picciano Email | ERP2, Risk Management, and Disaster Assistance
|
05/01/2023 – 12/31/2023 | Alabama California – Fresno Colorado – Antonito Florida – Miami-Dade, Pasco, Putnam Volusia Kansas – Nicodemus Massachusetts New Mexico – Albuquerque North Carolina Oklahoma – Logan, Ofuski, Oklahoma, Olkmulgee, Seminole South Carolina – Bamberg, Calhoun, Orangeburg Puerto Rico |
| Alabama | ||||
| Alabama State Association of Cooperatives | Audrey Haskin Email |
ERP2, Risk Management, and Disaster Assistance
|
05/03/2023 – 12/31/2023 | Choctaw Dallas Greene Hale Marengo Perry Pickens Sumter Wilcox |
| Arizona | ||||
| University of Arizona Cooperative Extension (Urban Agriculture Production, Small-Scale and Beginning Farmer Program) | University of Arizona | The University of Arizona Ayman Mostafa ayman@arizona.edu |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension plans to work with its many branches, as well as the City of Phoenix and Maricopa County. They plan to enhance communication through ailing list, newsletter, website and digital media. They plan to offer training programs, as well as a Service Incubator that will host USDA staff for ease of access for the urban communities. |
2023-2028 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| California | ||||
| Community Alliance with Family Farmers | Anna Lawrence Email |
|
2023-2026 | |
| Community Alliance with Family Farmers | Anna Lawrence |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: To address and identify the gaps between farmers and government programs, CAFF will conduct farmer engagement, education, network development, and listening events for the urban agriculture community. These farmer gatherings will serve as valuable unifying opportunities for farmers to connect, collaborate, and identify their needs from government entities. |
2023-2026 |
Los Angeles & Oakland, California |
| Georgia | ||||
| University of Georgia Research Foundation | University of Georgia Research Foundation – University of Georgia Office of Research (uga.edu) Angel Jackson |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: Through a variety of outreach and engagement tools, the Archway Partnership will conduct a needs assessment, pool data, community and business surveys, interviews, focus groups, evaluations, and asset inventories to increase the number of producers that have access to assistance in urban food production. Additionally, they plan to create a link from producers to FSA and USDA resources, along with state and non-governmental resources. |
2023-2026 |
Atlanta, Georgia |
| Illinois | ||||
| University of Illinois Extension Service | University of Illinois Extension | Illinois Extension | UIUC Patricia Welander pattiw@illinois.edu |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: The purpose of this project is to provide outreach, education, and technical assistance to underserved urban food and agricultural producers in Chicago, Illinois to assist them in accessing USDA programs and services. The overarching goal of the project is to support FSA goals of increasing equity in urban food systems by expanding FSA’s outreach efforts to commercial urban producers through outreach, education, and technical assistance in addition to increasing supply chain resiliency in urban food systems by improving the sustainability and long-term viability of urban farming operations. This project will promote the ability of urban producers to be eligible to serve as elected representatives on the UCOC. |
2023-2027 |
Chicago, Illinois |
| Louisiana | ||||
| Sprout Nola Farm | SPROUT NOLA (sproutnolafarm.org) Marguerite Green margee@sproutnola.org |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: SPROUT NOLA plans to provide education, support and microgrants to underserved urban producers. Their four goals of interest are: formalize outreach, education and support network to connect urban farming community to USDA programs and services; deliver on farm support through the SPROUT Urban Ag Cohort Model and continue support to increasing representation on the New Orleans UCOC. |
2023-2028 |
New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Michigan | ||||
| Keep Growing Detroit | Keep Growing Detroit (detroitagriculture.net) Ashley Atkinson |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: The organization proposes to primarily invest in the development and expansion of urban farms in the Detroit area through the installation of water lines and technical assistance to growers on building and land use. |
2023-2028 |
Detroit, Michigan |
| West Michigan Environmental Action Council | WMEAC – Leading environmental protection in West Michigan by inspiring action. Bill Wood |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: This project will focus on farmer-to-farmer training in spaces throughout Grand Rapids, MI. The project goal is focused on increasing participation and equity in Grand Rapids urban food system, as well as, seeking to support new, aspiring and existing urban producers who are establishing and expanding their operations. |
2023-2028 |
Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Minnesota | ||||
| Renewing the Countryside | Jan Joannides Hannah Lewis |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: Renewing the Countryside II proposes to harness the relationships they have built over the past 20 years to connect existing networks with each other and with USDA agencies. They plan to do this through organizing listening sessions, providing trainings, hiring staff to work directly with producers through one-on-one collaboration and field days. |
2023-2026 |
Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Missouri | ||||
| University of Missouri | Mizzou - University of Missouri | University of Missouri Mallory Rahe Mallory.rahe@missouri.edu |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: The project will support FSA in increasing equity in urban food systems and expanding outreach efforts to commercial urban producers through technical assistance, education, and research. This project will also work to increase supply chain resiliency in urban food systems by improving urban farms’ sustainability and long-term viability. |
2023-2028 |
St. Louis, Missouri |
| New York | ||||
| Farm School NYC | https://www.farmschoolnyc.org/ Claudia Navas |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: Farm School NYC is seeking to build food sovereignty and resiliency among underserved communities in New York City by fortifying and furthering urban agriculture education and technical assistance grounded in BIPOC land stewardship. |
2023-2027 | New York City, New York |
| New Mexico | ||||
| Farm to Table, Inc. | Farm to Table New Mexico (farmtotablenm.org) Name: Maya Martinez Title: Farmer Innovation Program Director Email: maya@farmtotablenm.org Phone: 505-470-5011
Name: Edith Martinez Title: Farmer Innovation Program Administrator Email: edith@farmtotablenm.org Phone: 505-231-1421
Name: Pam Roy Title: Executive Director Email: pam@farmtotablenm.org Phone: 505-660-8403 |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: The goal of this project is to increase the production capacity, sustainability and adaptability, and resource utilization of urban and underserved rural farmers through direct outreach, technical assistance, financial assistance, and increasing market opportunities. Farm to Table, Inc. will create an Urban Agriculture and Innovation Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) to support the UCOC committee. |
2023-2027 | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Ohio | ||||
| Ohio State University | Home | The Ohio State University (osu.edu) Julie Fox |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: OSU plans to focus on foundational activities in building Ohio’s urban ag community. This includes data gathering and developing a database of urban ag producers, conducting outreach and stakeholder engagement that will inform research priorities in the urban ag space, and utilizing data and outreach efforts to inform how they connect with and provide assistance to urban ag growers on FSA and NRCS programs. |
2023-2028 | Statewide, with an initial focus in Cleveland, Ohio |
| Oregon | ||||
| Ecotrust | Jamese Kwele jkwele@ecotrust.org |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: In close collaboration with key partners, including BFSC, ODA, OSU, Metro, and REACH, Ecotrust’s proposed project, Building Capacity, Access, and Resiliency for Historically Underserved Producers of Portland, Oregon, Ecotrust will assist FSA with addressing the lack of engagement and program offerings from FSA, NRCS, and other USDA programs that are geared towards servicing underserved urban producers in the Portland Metro area. |
2023-2026 | Portland, Oregon |
| Pennsylvania | ||||
| PASA Sustainable Agriculture | Home - Pasa Sustainable Agriculture (pasafarming.org) Dominique Matti dominique@pasafarming.org |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: This project proposes to host events and conferences as well as providing one-on-one technical assistance to include assistance applying for USDA programs. They also plan to have growers assist in research projects and host apprentices. |
2023-2028 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Texas | ||||
| Texas Small Farmers & Ranchers CBO | P Wade Ross Email | ERP2, Risk Management, and Disaster Assistance
|
04/25/2023 – 12/31/2023 | All Counties |
| Grow North Texas | Susie Marshall susie@grownorthtexas.org |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: Grow North Texas will provide outreach events, education, resources, and technical assistance for underserved farmers, ranchers, and community food projects. The project will connect participants with and prepare them for USDA programs that can help provide economic viability and sustainability while leveraging climate smart agriculture practices in the urban setting. |
2023-2028 | Dallas, Texas |
| Virginia | ||||
| Virginia Tech with Virginia State University | Kim Niewolny |
Project Focus: Urban Agriculture Project Summary: This project is focused on assisting the needs or Urban Farmers, New/Beginning, Veteran, SDA, LR producers with tools and skills needed for them to successfully access and utilize FSA programs and services. The long-term goal of the project is to prepare Urban ag farmers to successfully apply for assistance through FSA farm programs, farm loans, increase skills in financial planning and management, record keeping, business planning, and computer literacy. |
2023-2026 | Richmond, Virginia |
What is a Cooperative Agreement?
Cooperative Agreement Definition
A cooperative agreement reflects a relationship between the U.S. Government and a recipient and is used when the government's purpose is to assist the intermediary in providing goods or services to the authorized recipient.
Cooperative Agreement Purpose
FSA’s cooperative agreements are designed to support or stimulate a public purpose with substantive FSA involvement.
Cooperative Agreement Authority
FSA’s authority to enter cooperative agreements includes the:
- Agricultural Act of 2014, Section 1614(c)(3), with qualified universities or university-based organizations to develop online tools and with State extension services to educate farmers and ranchers; and
- Rural Development Act of 1972, Section 607(b)(4), as amended, with non-governmental organizations or educational institutions related to outreach and technical assistance.
Available Opportunities
There are no opportunities currently available. All previous opportunities have been awarded.
Resources
In addition to the information on the FSA website regarding its programs, these are convenient links to cooperative agreement-related information:
- Government-wide Regulations:
- USDA Regulations:
- USDA Guidance:
- USDA Civil Rights Policy Statement:
- Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance:
- CFDA
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations:
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