Calling all small Delmarva farmers interested in learning more about sustainable practices and focused on growing for the local market. Apply now for the 2017 Historic Lewes Farmers Market scholarship program! Completed applications are due no later than Wednesday, December 14, 2016. To receive an application and more information about the scholarships, please call (302) 644-1436 or email HistoricLewesFarmersMarket@comcast.net.
Several $500 scholarships will be awarded to small Delmarva farmers to attend sustainable farming conferences including these conferences in the mid-Atlantic: the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) Annual Farming for the Future Conference held February 1-4, 2017 in State College, PA; Future Harvest CASA Conference held January 12-14, 2017 in College Park, MD; and similar conferences such as the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Conference held January 31-February 2, 2017 in Hershey, PA. These conferences draw farmers interested in education about sustainable agriculture practices from a broad section of the east coast, mid-Atlantic and the south with similar growing conditions to the Delmarva. For more information about the conferences you may go to www.pasafarming.org, www.futureharvestcasa.org, and www.mafvc.org.
To be eligible for the scholarships, the Delmarva farmer must:
1) Currently be developing a sustainable farming enterprise, or currently farming, on the Delmarva.
2) Currently operate a small farm (low-sales) as defined by the ERS (Economic Research Service) for the United States Department of Agriculture (less than $350,000 gross in agricultural sales), on the Delmarva, or be able to demonstrate financial need to attend this conference. (Only one applicant per farm, please.)
3) Currently be a farmer/grower who sells what they grow, raise or produce on their own farm. A farmer/grower may be a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation and shall include family members and employees who assist in the production and/or sales/marketing of the farm products.
4) Commit to attend the HLFM farmer’s workshop held in the spring and share what you learned at the conference so that we may disseminate this information to other farmers. To receive an application and more information about the scholarships, please call (302) 644-1436 or email HistoricLewesFarmersMarket@comcast.net.
Completed applications are due no later than Wednesday, December 14, 2016. All scholarship applicants will be notified of awards by January 4, 2017.
The Debra Schaefer Scholarship for Emerging Women Farmers
The Historic Lewes Farmers Market has established an emerging women farmers’ scholarship fund in memory of Debra Schaefer who died in August, 2016. It is her family’s wish that this scholarship be established in loving memory of Debra, who was a sustainable farmer in Frankford, Delaware. This year, there are three additional $500 scholarships available to emerging women farmers. On the application please let us know if you are applying for one of these scholarships.