Lost tobacco income subject of workshop in Kenansville
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on December 4, 2005 2:02 AM
KENANSVILLE -- The public is invited to attend a workshop on how to apply for a grant to help replace lost tobacco income.
The workshop will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Duplin County Agricultural Service Center at Duplin Commons across from James Sprunt Community College.
The Rural Advancement Foundation International is offering cost-share grants of up to $10,000 for farmers and up to $30,000 for groups to help develop on-farm and community demonstrations about innovative ways to replace lost tobacco income.
The grant money comes through the foundation's Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, which provides the cost-share support for farmers to try new production, marketing and processing strategies to earn more income on the farm. Eligible farmers are those who earned tobacco income in crop years 1997 through 1998 and who currently farm in one of the 22 target counties. Duplin and Sampson counties are two of them.