Silos & Smokestacks to award ag-related grants

     Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) will award up to $50,000 through the 2018 General Grant Program. The grants will fund agriculture-related interpretive projects in the Heritage Area, including exhibit development, educational programs, interpretive signage, marketing and event programming.

     This year, in an effort to expand the agricultural story in the Heritage Area, further consideration will be given to projects and programming that incorporate interpretation of the current agricultural story. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, local/regional governments or federally recognized Indian tribes with projects located within the Heritage Area. The grant project work must benefit the Heritage Area directly. Projects funded through SSNHA grant programs must provide a one-to-one non-federal match to the grant award. Grant awards range from $1,000 to $10,000. The grant criteria and application are available at www.silosandsmokestacks.org/grants.

     Applications must be submitted by noon on Aug, 31.

     “The story of American agriculture is constantly changing and our grant programs must change as well to keep up with current practices,” said Cara Miller SSNHA president. “Silos & Smokestacks grant programs not only work to preserve what has happened, but also what is happening right now.”

     Since the program began in 2001, SSNHA has funded more than $1.9 million to projects dedicated to telling America's agricultural story, both past and present. By partnering with organizations on a grassroots level, Silos & Smokestacks is able to help share stories that might otherwise be left untold.

     SSNHA is one of 49 federally designated heritage areas in the nation and is Affiliated Area of the National Park Service. The Heritage Area covers 37 counties in the northeast quadrant of Iowa. Interstate 80 borders it on the south and Interstate 35 borders it on the west. Through a network of sites, programs and events, SSNHA interprets farm life, agribusiness, and rural communities-past and present.

     To learn more about Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, visit www.silosandsmokestacks.org.