The University of Idaho is hoping to resurrect the largest federal grant in its history.
The U of I has reapplied for $59 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to pilot climate-friendly farming practices.
When the U of I received the grant in 2022, university officials touted the magnitude of the project — and its potential to prevent the release of 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
But in April, the Trump administration abruptly pulled funding for the nationwide Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, calling it “a Biden era climate slush fund” that would largely benefit nonprofits, not growers.
The termination caused immediate turmoil at the U of I, eliminating 27 jobs, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported in late April. Some of the cuts affected international students, who need a research job to satisfy their visa requirements.
The feds offered a lifeline. They allowed the U of I and other grant recipients to reapply and restructure their programs. One key provision: the feds want at least 65% of the money to go directly to producers.
The U of I’s new plan would offer producers $39.2 million in direct incentives — accounting for more than 66.2% of overall spending. According to a U of I news release, an additional $3.5 million would go directly to producers to fund marketing efforts.
“The revised proposal will provide more resources to growers on how to best market sustainably grown products to increase revenues,” according to the news release.
There are tradeoffs, however. The U of I says it would scale back “some of the (program’s) original research objectives,” in order to free up additional money for payments to producers.
Before the Agriculture Department pulled the plug on the Innovative Agriculture and Marketing Partnership grant program, the U of I said it had received 201 applications from growers spread across 34 counties. Several growers had finished their paperwork and were enrolled in the program, with other applications in the final stages of review.
“Producers will be the first to be notified if U of I’s resubmitted proposal is accepted,” the U of I said in its news release.
The Agriculture Department has indicated it will decide on the new application within 30 to 60 days, the U of I says.