Release No. SO52.00

Sherie Hinton Henry (202) 720-6350
2501rfp@usda.gov

CORRECTED VERSION

USDA TO CONDUCT SEVEN REGIONAL WORKSHOPS

          WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2000 -- The U. S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Outreach will conduct seven regional workshops to provide guidance to eligible community-based organizations and institutions on the preparation of proposals for grants that will provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

         The workshops will focus on the procedures for submitting grant proposals for the

         $3 million that Congress appropriated and made available under Section 2501 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990. USDA will announce the Request for Proposals in the Federal Register in early 2001, for funding during this fiscal year.

         The workshops will be conducted for eligible community-based organizations and the 1890 land-grant Colleges and Universities, Tuskegee University, Indian Tribal Community Colleges, Alaskan Native Cooperative Colleges, and Hispanic Serving Post-Secondary Educational Institutions.

The seven regional workshops are scheduled as follows:

December 18-19, 2000, University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas
Contact: Manuel Pina at (979) 229-8024

January 9-10, 2001, Fond Du Lac Tribal College, Cloquet, Minn.
Contact: Joe Wiltsey at (218) 692-4944

January 8-9, 2001, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M.
Contact: Eric Serna at (505) 438-7441

January 23-24, 2001, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas
Contact: Nathaniel Keys (936) 857-2227

January 22-23, 2001, Reedley Community College, Fresno, Calif.
Contact: Rick Tafoya at (559) 278-8311 or Sharon Nance at (559) 252-2191

January 25-26, 2001, Imperial Valley Community College, El Centro, Calif.
Contact: Rick Tafoya at (559) 278-8311 or Sharon Nance at (559) 252-2191

January 30-31, 2001, Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Atlanta, Ga.
Contact: Glyen Holmes at (850) 352-2400

For additional information concerning these workshops, please call the USDA Office of Outreach at (202) 720-6350 or (800) 880-4183, or e-mail 2501rfp@usda.gov.

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