Farmer Mini-Grants Available for Food Bank Donations

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Feed the Need Farmer Mini-Grants are Now Available From Future Harvest CASA for Farmers in Virginia, Maryland, Deleware, West Virginia, and The District of Columbia Who are Donating Produce to Food Banks

Is your farm able to provide fresh produce, eggs, meats, and/or dairy to your local food bank or an organization distributing food to those in need? Apply for #FeedTheNeed Farmer Mini-Grants to help cover the costs associated with donations.

The Future Harvest Feed the Need Fund was created to help address hunger by providing food access in a variety of ways to communities in our region, and to help farmers weather market changes caused by the pandemic.

Future Harvest CASA will award farmer mini-grants ranging from $500-$5000. In light of their renewed commitment to stand for racial equity, they commit to 50% of these awards going to Black, Indigenous, and other farmers of color. From activities like sliding scales on CSA orders and home deliveries to providing produce to local food banks and pantries, grant award recipients will have the flexibility to participate in this effort using the tools and means that work best for you to help others.

ELIGIBILITY & APPLICATION PROCESS

Eligible applicants are vegetable, fruit, meat, and dairy producers in Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, West Virginia, or Delaware. Again, Future Harvest commits to providing a minimum of 50% of our mini-grants to Black, Indigenous, and other farmers of color. Priority also will be given to Future Harvest members. 

The online grant application is easy to complete with a few detailed questions to help ensure that Future Harvest is awarding producers with the greatest needs and that can provide food to those in need. 

• Cash mini-grants will be awarded this summer.
• Farmers are eligible for grant funds if able to deliver produce to those in need at retail value. A one-time delivery cost of up to $75 can be included. 
• Farmers will need to provide market-quality products and document how many pounds of what type of product you deliver when and to which organizations, individuals and in what geographic area. (A form to fill out will be provided to grant awardees.)
• A review committee composed of Future Harvest Board members, staff and farmers will review and select awardees.

If you have any questions, please contact Carole Bernard at carole@futureharvestcasa.org.

 

• Learn more about loans, grants, and other funding resources at https://www.beginningfarmers.org/funding-resources/

• And as always, find tons of useful farming resources by visiting https://www.beginningfarmers.org/additional-farming-resources/