Release No.: 140-14

Contact:

Peter Wood (202) 720-6179

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2014 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it is seeking peer reviewers to evaluate grant applications for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP). The FMLFPP grants are funded by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill) to strengthen rural American communities by supporting direct farm-to-consumer markets and local food enterprises, and to improve access to fresh, high quality products for millions of Americans. FMLFPP also supports USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative which coordinates the Department’s work and investments in local and regional food systems.

Prospective reviewers are expected to have operational knowledge of direct-to-consumer and local/regional marketing venues, as well as a background in local agriculture, agricultural retail and farm-to-table marketing. Reviewers will apply their knowledge and expertise to score and comment on the grant applications.

Selected reviewers must commit approximately three weeks for the FMLFPP review process between July 9 and July 28. A required half-day training webinar will take place during the week of June 18 (exact time and date to be determined). Reviewers will be organized into teams of 3 and follow a pre-set scoring rubric. Individuals will review 20 to 30 proposals, each requiring 1 to 3 hours to complete, and participate in a group review online to reach a consensus score and develop comments for applicants. Reviewers will receive a stipend following the completion of the process.

Applicants for FY2014 FMLFPP grants are not eligible to serve as reviewers. Peer reviewers will not evaluate proposals for which they – or their organizations – have a conflict of interest. Selected reviewers must sign a confidentiality agreement to refrain from sharing information about the process, the applications, and the outcomes during and after the evaluation period.

If you are interested in serving as a peer reviewer, please visit the FMLFPP reviewer webpage to find out more about the grant programs and the application process. For consideration, submit your reviewer application by May 21, 2014. AMS will contact selected reviewers beginning June 6, 2014.