The $ 74,412 matching funds are from the state of idaho allocations

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the Regents of the University of Idaho $148,824 on October 1, 2025, under the Smith-Lever Extension Funding program (CFDA 10.511), a formula grant that supports cooperative agricultural extension activities at land-grant institutions. The award funds two area extension educators on the "Horticulture and Small Farms" and "Food Production Systems" team who deliver educational activities to limited-resource farm families across multiple Idaho counties. The educators provide instruction on establishing farm business operations, developing mission statements and strategic goals, resource inventories, risk management, farm budgets and accounting practices, production cost analysis for crop and livestock enterprises, marketing plans, and proficiency assessment to optimize profit. They also facilitate the farmer mentoring program, which assists beginning farmers in developing skills and confidence to increase efficiency and agribusiness volume. Of the $74,412 in state matching funds from Idaho allocations, approximately 88 percent supports personnel costs, including fringe benefits, for 2.0 FTE area extension educators, with the remainder allocated to travel, supplies, and technology supporting program design and implementation. The award runs through September 30, 2030, with work performed across Idaho.

This non-federal funding is used to support the area extension educators' positions. The university of idaho extension estimates that nearly 88% of this fund will be used on the personnel cost, which includes about 21% of the fringe benefits supporting 2.0 FTE. The rest of the fund will be used for travel, supplies, and technology to facilitate the educational program design and implementation, addressing the needs that affect the clientele across the boundaries of multiple counties. The area extension educators are responsible for developing or coordinating multi-county, district or statewide extension programs in their assigned program area(S) and discipline. The two area extension educators who are members of the 'horticulture and small farms' and 'food production systems' team expands the agricultural extension programs and outreach to the limited resource farm families in idaho. They deliver educational activities that empower the clients on establishing a farm business operation, developing a mission and strategic goals, resource inventories, risk management, farm budgets and accounting practices, including the cost of production for crop and livestock enterprises, marketing plans to sell their products, and proficiency assessment to optimize the profit. They also facilitate the farmer mentoring program', which assists beginning farmers in gaining skills and developing confidence to increase the efficiency and volume of their agribusiness.