November 18, 2015
Applications Available Now for Missouri Beef Initiative Grants
Deadline to apply is Dec. 7, 2015
(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced that the Missouri Agricultural Foundation is now accepting applications for grants to grow and enhance the Missouri beef industry. A competitive solicitation process will award 2015 Beef Initiative funds to grant proposals that include applied research and/or commercialization research related to Missouri’s beef cattle industry.
“The Department launched the Beef Initiative earlier this year to explore ways to grow the herd in Missouri,” said Director of Agriculture Richard Fordyce. “While Missouri ranks third nationally in cow/calf inventory, we fall short when it comes to retaining the value of those calves after they are weaned. These grants will incentivize research projects that will enhance our beef cattle industry and allow our state to capture additional economic value.”
Grant categories include covered feeding facilities, beef research, fescue tolerance, innovative solutions and economic impact studies, and small/medium size beef processor modernization. Guidelines and applications are located at agriculture.mo.gov.
Applications must be received by the Missouri Agricultural Foundation no later than 5:00 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, 2015. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. For more information on the program, visit agriculture.mo.gov.
In early 2015, Governor Nixon convened the Missouri Beef Summit in Columbia to maximize the potential of Missouri’s beef industry and help move the state’s rural economy forward, while at the same time protecting land, air and water resources. The summit brought together large- and small-scale beef producers with agricultural leaders and experts to discuss how to grow and improve the herd in Missouri, how to help producers increase the value of the industry by keeping more cattle in-state for finishing, and how to better market Missouri beef for its high quality for both foreign and domestic consumption.
The Missouri Agricultural Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) that works in partnership with the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The Missouri Agricultural Foundation’s mission is to support projects that promote sound agricultural practices, growth in agribusiness and agritourism, international agricultural exports, urban agriculture, food safety, farm safety practices, youth development and education.
###