FOUNDATION FOR RURAL SUSTAINABILITY
2008
Areas of particular interest:
- Providing access to education, technology and resources for rural small farms and rural enterprises.
- Providing resources and support for woman-owned small farms
- Enhancing opportunities for rural woman entrepreneurship
- Research, education and promotion of sustainable and organic crop production
- Developing markets for sustainably-grown crops
- Developing year-around family-wage rural jobs
- Improving consumer awareness of the benefits of sustainably-produced crops
- Transfer of sustainable research results to real-time rural end-users
The Foundation for Rural Sustainability programs are wide-ranging and flexible: Projects may be developed or grants may be funded for topics that include training and technical assistance programs, or funds may be provided for development of export markets; feasibility studies; development of long term trade strategies; community economic development planning; business training and business based technical assistance for rural entrepreneurs and business managers; establishment of rural business incubators; emergency farm/small business operating loans/grants or assistance with technology based economic development. The types of projects that may be funded might include identification and/or analysis of business opportunities that will utilize local material and human resources; transfer of sustainable technology to small farmers; provision of leadership development training to existing or prospective rural entrepreneurs and managers; business support centers; centers for training, technology and export trade; and economic development planning and implementation.
