Archive for the ‘Funding’ Category
Partnership Opportunity Grant
From Growing Power here is news on an exciting new partnership development opportunity:
The Community Learning Project for Food Justice is an exciting new program to build relationships, leadership, and resource capacity development, and to support community-based learning in the food justice movement.
The Community Learning Project for Food Justice will connect pairs of organizations for one year around a specific topic or program area. Through a peer-to-peer learning/teaching experience, the participants will share complementary knowledge and skills to each develop a new program or increase capacity in a particular area. Participant pairs will also become part of a national learning community through professional development trainings, regional site visits, and attendance at the annual Growing Food and Justice for All (GFJI) gathering.
Each organization will receive a small stipend to support participation. At the end of the year, each learning pair will submit a proposal for seed funding to implement a collaborative project. Both organizations will be funded to conduct site visits to their partner’s community, attend regional and/or national gatherings, and receive training and technical assistance from WhyHunger and Growing Power.
Chicago Projects Manager
Growing Power, Inc.
773.486-6005
erika@growingpower.org
www.growingpower.org
Grant Information
Gardens can be built for very little money but it sure is nice to get at least some. In planning for next year’s garden here’s information on funding from the American Community Garden Association. Go here to see a more complete list.
What: America the Beautiful Fund
Who May Apply: Non-profit groups receive seed donations from major seed companies
Amount: Sets of 50 packets of vegetables, flowers and herbs are available for the cost of postage/handling.
Deadline: Ongoing
Contact: http://www.america-the-beautiful.org/free_seeds/index.php
What: Pepsi Refresh Project grants
Who May Apply: Any citizen or group with an idea that has a positive impact on society
Amount: $5,000 to $250,000
Deadline: Ongoing
Contact: http://refresheverything.co
Urban Ag Efforts in Cleveland Get Funded
From the Ohio Ag Connection here’s new on that rarest of things – funding.
Economic opportunity, beautification, new jobs and access to fresh, local produce are being wrapped into one pretty package for the Greater Cleveland community.
Ohio State University Extension in Cuyahoga County has received more than $840,000 in grants to help new farmers get started on small tracts of land in the city, with a special focus on training for women, minorities, refugees, immigrants and limited resource adults with developmental disabilities.
Projects supported by the grants will address several key city issues at once, said Marie Barni, director of the Cuyahoga County office for OSU Extension, including urban blight, food deserts, and unemployment.
The Beginning Entrepreneurs in Agricultural Networks (BEAN) and the Urban Agriculture Innovation District (UAID) projects will turn vacant tracts into lush, productive gardens and farms, Barni said. More…
USDA to Fund School Gardens
From USA Today, here’s news about the USDA’s plan to fund school gardens.
Since first lady Michelle Obama planted a garden at the White House in the spring of 2009 and invited schoolchildren to help tend and harvest the produce, more school gardens have been sprouting up across the country.Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announces it will award $1 million in grants for eligible high-poverty schools to start community gardens.
The goal: to teach students about gardening and nutrition and to provide fresh produce for school meals. Some of the harvest may also be given to students’ families, as well as to local food banks and senior-center nutrition programs (www.fns.usda.gov). More…
SARE Grants Available for Sustainable Ag Efforts
Farm Harvest, Photo by Steve Tracy
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, a USDA grants program, supports agricultural efforts that meet the three principles of sustainability. Farmers and others who participate in the agricultural field need to demonstrate that their projects are economically viable, environmentally sound and socially responsible when they apply to the following grants:
Professional Development Program Grant
Amount: Up to $60,000
Due: November 05, 2010
These grants focus on training agricultural professionals to help them share their knowledge and expertise about sustainable agriculture practices. More details here. More…
People’s Garden Pilot Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is launching a pilot program for the People’s Garden School. This program will allow organizations to develop and manage community gardens at schools in low-income neighborhoods. Students will be taught how to tend to the garden, and will learn about the importance of including fresh food in their diet.
There is $1 million up for grabs to implement the program in up to five states. Public and non-profit organizations can apply to run the program, and school sites must have 50 percent or more students qualifying for free or reduced-price school meals. Applications are due November 8.
If you are interested in learning more, check out this press release from the USDA, sign up for the webinar and/or check out the request for applications document.
Value-Added Producer Grants from USDA
Would you like to try making value-added products but lack the funds to do so? Then this USDA grant may be for you.
Grants may be used for planning activities and for working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy. Eligible applicants are independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives, agricultural producer groups, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures.
Since the beginning of the program, 950 grants have been awarded with 2008 recipients ranging from Morning Star Organic Farm to Blue Sage Farm.
An interesting success story is Amazing Grains who used a grant to develop, then market gluten-free flour made from Indian rice grass.
For more information about how to apply, check out the guidelines here.
Subsidies Send Mixed Messages About Diet
Corn harvest
Sightline has found a couple of studies that indicate that as food with poor nutritional quality gets relatively cheaper, our waistlines grow larger. Since 1985, the price of food in the “sugar and sweets” category of the University of Washington study actually fell (when adjusted for inflation). While nutritional foodstuffs cost significantly more today than in 1985, with a price increase of more than 20 percent. Not surprisingly, we buy and consume more of what’s cheap.
Seattle Times asked the lead researcher, Pablo Monsivais, for an explanation of the price disparity. He responded that government subsidies may be to blame since they do not cater to “nutrient-rich agriculture.”
Conversely, many junk food producers that rely on corn and soy (and all of their wondrous by-products) get a major break thanks to federal subsidies. In the last ten years, U.S. subsidies for corn alone has totaled more than $75 billion. The corn that’s not used in making processed food often goes to fattening livestock. More…
Financiers Seeking Sustainable Farms
A conscientious finance firm is taking a look at agriculture, and telling its investors to do the same. RSF Social Finance believes that investing in sustainable farms or food groups focused on community have a lot to offer and will be around in the long run.
This is a good omen for farmers who are putting their heart and soul into working the land now, who may not be seeing frequent paydays.
Here’s some more information from the Civil Eats blog:
RSF Social Finance, a non-profit financial firm focused on using money as a force for good in the world, has announced the launch of a new Food & Agriculture Program-Related Investing (PRI) Fund. The idea is to encourage investors to support elements of the agricultural and food sectors that look beyond the bottom line to take the health of our environment and communities into account. More…
Children’s Garden Funding Opportunities
Here are funding opportunities from the American Gardening Association:
2010 Golden Carrot Awards
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is seeking nominations for its Golden Carrot Awards for outstanding school food service professionals who have developed and implemented a healthful and successful school lunch program. The grand prize winner will receive $1,500 and a $3,500 check made out to her or his school or school district. Up to four additional awards will be given, with $500 going to the food service professional and $500 to benefit the school food service program. Click here, to nominate school food service professionals and their school lunch programs for the Golden Carrot Awards. More…
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