The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore (CFES) has awarded $1,000 to the University of Maryland Extension (UME) Office – Worcester County from the Foundation’s Mini Grants Program. The grant will help support the Extension Office’s “Farming: Pencil to Plow Program.”
The Pencil to Plow program is a nationally recognized workshop for beginning farmers conducted by the National Association of County Agriculture Agents. It is designed for aspiring small farmers and those producers interested in diversifying their farming operations.
This program allows new farmers to examine their business ideas and develop them into feasible farming endeavors that can be successful. Participants in the workshop will have a prepared business plan to present to lending sources in addition to a certificate of completion issued by NxLevel, a nationally recognized entrepreneurship training provider.
The UME is a statewide, non-formal education system with the University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Extension offices are located in each county of Maryland, including Baltimore City. The University of Maryland Extension is a source of research based agricultural technical information based on a variety of real-life sources, workshops, field days, one on one consultations and educational seminars.
The Community Foundation’s Mini Grants Program provides support to address a wide range of needs including pilot projects, emergencies, organizational improvement, capacity building and technical assistance.
Grants range on average from $200 to $2,000. Grant applications are accepted on a rolling deadline, the 15th of every month. Please contact Heather Mahler, CFES Program Director, at hmahler@cfes.org or call 410-742-9911.