Exciting News: Grants Available for Urban Agriculture!
I have some incredible news for you! The awesome folks at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are giving out grants to support urban agriculture and cool food production projects. And get this, they have a whopping $7.5 million to give away! How amazing is that?
This grant program, called the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production grant program, is super competitive, and it’s run by the USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. They are looking for farmers, gardeners, individuals, organizations, schools, and even government officials who want to make a difference in urban areas and suburbs by starting or expanding agriculture projects.
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What Can You Get with USDA Urban Agriculture Grants?
Let’s talk about grants and how they can help make positive changes in our communities. Grants can be really helpful when it comes to covering expenses for different projects. We’re talking about things like improving access to food, education, starting new businesses, or creating new rules and plans for urban development. Sounds pretty cool, right?
Let me break it down for you. There are two types of grant proposals that can qualify for funding: Planning Projects and Implementation Projects. Now, let me explain what each of these means.
Planning Projects – Get Ready to Bring Your Ideas to Life!
Are you ready to turn your dreams into reality? Planning Projects are all about helping you get started or expand your urban agriculture projects. And guess what? You can use funds to cover all those awesome things like startup costs, studies, and even new project development plans in urban or suburban communities. How cool is that?
Let me tell you about an amazing example. In 2022, the Texas Coalition of Rural Landowners received a Planning Projects grant. They used the grant funds to cover the cost of a feasibility study and the development of a super awesome new business plan. Their project? They created a cooperative for small farms and agriculture producers. Their goal? To make it easier to provide products to low food access markets throughout Harris County, Texas. Talk about making a difference!
Now onto Implementation Projects
I want to tell you about something cool called Implementation Projects. They give money to speed up existing urban, indoor, and innovative agriculture projects. This can mean investing in new technology, hiring and training people faster, or helping with new infrastructure to reach more customers.
Let me give you an example. In 2022, the Moka Urban Agriculture Initiative got one of these grants. Before the grant, they were already helping urban farmers in Missouri. But with the funds, they were able to reach even more people, create more outdoor spaces for growing food, and provide more opportunities for urban agriculture producers.
About the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants
Let me tell you about the cool stuff the USDA’s OUAIP is up to. The OUAIP, which started in 2018 thanks to the Farm Bill, teams up with other USDA agencies to support urban agriculture and innovative production. They do this through a bunch of different programs and grant opportunities.
Since 2020, the UAIP Grant Program has been giving funds to agriculture producers, nonprofits, and government entities that are all about this mission. And guess what? There’s more! This funding is just one part of the USDA’s bigger investment in innovative, urban agriculture.
The USDA is doing all kinds of awesome things! They’ve set up a Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. They’ve opened up the People’s Garden Initiative again, so people all over the country can have great gardens and learn about sustainable growing. And they’re even providing technical and financial assistance for those who want to jump into this exciting world.
Want to Apply for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants?
If you’re interested in applying for UAIP grants, you can use the federal government’s online grant portal, Grants.gov. The deadline to submit an application is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 27.
The USDA also provides a pre-recorded webinar for those who want to learn more about the program. The webinar covers the types of projects that qualify, the criteria you need to meet, and how to submit an application in greater detail. You can access this content online anytime before the application deadline.