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USDA Funding to Ease Application Process for Clean Energy Projects

By Terri Dee

Indiana will soon get a dedicated person to help farmers, ranchers and other landowners apply for federal grants to help fight pollution and climate change.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would hire 40 individuals as Climate Change Fellows. They will be assigned to Indiana and other states to help people apply for the Rural Energy for America Program, which has $2 billion in funding for clean-energy projects.

Anthony Kirkland, director of business and cooperative programs at the USDA's Rural Development office in Indianapolis, said Indiana's Fellow will have specific tasks.

"Helping to provide guidance to the grant recipient, or to the grant writer," Kirkland outlined. "They'll also be helping with evaluating the process of an application and helping with monitoring, making recommendations, providing advice to the coordinator."

USDA officials said they saw a need to hire the Climate Change Fellows after seeing an increase in applications. Kirkland noted in Indiana, just one person is processing more than 60. The program is part of President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.

The funding is expected to help transform rural power production, with new energy sources through net metering and power purchase agreements.

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Why Port Infrastructure is Key to Growing Canada's Farms and Economy

Video: Why Port Infrastructure is Key to Growing Canada's Farms and Economy

Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) knows that strong, modern port infrastructure is vital to the success of Canada’s agriculture. When our ports grow, Ontario grain farmers and Canadian farms grow too—and when we grow, Canada grows.

In this video, we highlight the importance of investing in port infrastructure and how these investments are key to growing Ontario agriculture and supporting global trade. The footage showcases the strength of both Ontario’s farming landscapes and vital port operations, including some key visuals from HOPA Ports, which we are grateful to use in this project.

Ontario’s grain farmers rely on efficient, sustainable ports and seaway systems to move grain to markets around the world. Port investments are crucial to increasing market access, driving economic growth, and ensuring food security for all Canadians.

Why Port Infrastructure Matters:

Investing in Ports = Investing in Farms: Modernized ports support the export of Canadian grain, driving growth in agriculture.

Sustainable Growth: Learn how stronger ports reduce environmental impact while boosting economic stability.

Global Trade Opportunities: Improved port and seaway systems help farmers access new global markets for their grain.

Stronger Communities: Investment in ports means more stable jobs and economic growth for rural communities across Ontario and Canada.

We are proud to support the ongoing investment in port infrastructure and to shine a light on its vital role in feeding the world and securing a prosperous future for Canadian agriculture.

Special thanks to HOPA Ports for providing some of the stunning port footage featured in this video.