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Columbia County groups win green grants
Apr 28, 2013 12:03 am
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PBInc Resource Center and Pocket Park. From Philmont Beautification website.[/caption]Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation's Green Pastures Fund awarded $18,000 in grants to 14 nonprofits in the Berkshire Taconic region, including several in Columbia County. The Green Pastures Fund was established at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation in 1999 by an anonymous donor to preserve and encourage small, community-based agricultural ventures which might include, but are not limited to: community-supported agriculture; local farmers’ markets; urban garden programs; agricultural scholarships; cooperative programming; internships; grantwriting; and marketing. Local grantees:
• Coarc: $500 for a farm habilitation program, which seeks to provide a farming experience to individuals with developmental disabilities in Columbia County.
• Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District: $2,000 to create a Right-to-Farm Awareness brochure to improve landowner and farm relations. The brochure will outline farmer’s legal rights and provide resources to neighboring landowners who feel that a farm is not operating in an environmentally responsible manner.
• Philmont Beautification Committee/Village of Philmont: $1,000 to create a strategic plan to further integrate local farmers and food ventures into Philmont.
• The Nature Institute, Inc.: $1,000 to offer professional development programs for farmers, gardeners, and apprentices working in small-scale agriculture from the Ghent-based group.
PBInc Resource Center and Pocket Park. From Philmont Beautification website.[/caption]Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation's Green Pastures Fund awarded $18,000 in grants to 14 nonprofits in the Berkshire Taconic region, including several in Columbia County. The Green Pastures Fund was established at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation in 1999 by an anonymous donor to preserve and encourage small, community-based agricultural ventures which might include, but are not limited to: community-supported agriculture; local farmers’ markets; urban garden programs; agricultural scholarships; cooperative programming; internships; grantwriting; and marketing. Local grantees:• Coarc: $500 for a farm habilitation program, which seeks to provide a farming experience to individuals with developmental disabilities in Columbia County.
• Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District: $2,000 to create a Right-to-Farm Awareness brochure to improve landowner and farm relations. The brochure will outline farmer’s legal rights and provide resources to neighboring landowners who feel that a farm is not operating in an environmentally responsible manner.
• Philmont Beautification Committee/Village of Philmont: $1,000 to create a strategic plan to further integrate local farmers and food ventures into Philmont.
• The Nature Institute, Inc.: $1,000 to offer professional development programs for farmers, gardeners, and apprentices working in small-scale agriculture from the Ghent-based group.