Home » Non-profit organizations to buy fruits and vegetables

Non-profit organizations to buy fruits and vegetables

Jul 9, 2009 8:00 AM

Excess produce to feed hungry Texans.

Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples today announced $2 million in grants is available for non-profit organizations to purchase excess produce resulting from overproduction. The funds are available through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Texans Feeding Texans: Surplus Agricultural Products Grant Program , which awards non-profit organizations funds to purchase and donate agricultural products to food banks or any charitable organization that feeds hungry Texans.

“Many Texas families are challenged right now, and they’ve turned to local food banks for support,” Commissioner Staples said. “This grant program will assist our state’s food banks in offering families a helping hand during these tough times.”

Organizations interested in the Texans Feeding Texans: Surplus Agricultural Products Grant Program can submit proposals for up to $1 million per year if they have been assisting charitable organizations for at least five years. Last year, the Texas Food Bank Network was able to acquire and distribute 10.2 million pounds of food to Texas families, thanks to this program.

Applications must be submitted by August 17. For more information about the program or to apply for the grants, contact Mindy Fryer at (512) 463-6908 or grants@TexasAgriculture.gov.

Latest Jobs

‘Navigable’ waters debate on hold

Houston, TX Weather

Continuing Education

Accredited in Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina and Tennessee:

(New Course)
Weed Resistance Management in Cotton

This course covers a wide range of options to effectively control weeds in cotton and reduce the risk of weed resistance management. It is accredited for hours/units for licensed/accredited applicators in 7 U.S. Cotton Belt states (Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina an d Tennessee. CCA credit is pending).

(New Course)
New Mode of Action Chemistry for Vegetable Production

Integration of a new mode of action compound like Coragen into IPM and IRM programs to control Lepidoptera in leafy greens, fruiting vegetables, peppers and brassica or cole crops is always welcome. This online CE accredited course details how best to use this new mode of action insecticide in intensive vegetable production. It is accredited by the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) program and by state agencies for licensed applicators in Texas, Georgia, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

This course is accredited in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming as well as for CCA credits:

(New Course)
Spray Drift Management

Keeping crop protection chemicals on the crop for which they are intended has been a cornerstone of farming not only to protect neighboring crops, but to not waste money allowing products to drift off the intended target. This accredited online continuing education course covers the critical elements of spray drift management.

New Course
The ABCs of MRLs

American agriculture exports 20 to 30 percent of its production annually. For specific commodities, the percentage is much higher. When recommending and applying pest management products for crops, license Pest Control Advisers (PCAs) and applicators and farmers must be aware of which products applied are in compliance with Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) established by foreign customers. This CE course details the MRL issue and why compliance is critical to marketing into world trade.