Overview

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What is the TAA Technical Assistance Requirement?

• Benefit: TAA technical assistance for wild blueberry producers is one of the benefits of the TAA for Farmers and Fishermen program. The technical assistance will include information on the status of world blueberry markets and supply, options for value adding and alternative marketing of your crop, evaluating your farming business viability, analyzing production costs, and links to training opportunities available to producers.
  
• Requirement: TAA applicants are required to meet with an Extension Service employee or agent to receive technical assistance training before receiving a TAA payment from the USDA Farm Service Agency.
  
  Applicants do not need to have received technical assistance in order to file their TAA application at the USDA Farm Service Agency by the January 20, 2004 application deadline.

How will applicants receive technical assistance?

• Workshops: TAA technical assistance will be offered through a series of 1 to 2 hour workshops conducted by the University of Maine Extension Service. Workshops will be scheduled so that every eligible producer will have access to technical assistance.

How do applicants find out where they can receive TAA technical Assistance?

• Schedule: The workshops will be concentrated in the counties of Maine where wild blueberries are harvested commercially. TAA technical assistance sessions will be available beginning in December 2003 and will continue through February 2004. The finalized schedule will be widely distributed through direct mail, news releases to all of the major print and electronic news outlets in Maine, and will be posted here.
   
• Certificate of attendance: At the conclusion of a workshop, you will receive two copies of a certificate of attendance. Present or mail one copy of the certificate of attendance to the Farm Service Agency to certify that you have received the required technical assistance, and keep the other for your records