Thank you for your interest in applying. Our 2023 application window has closed.
We will begin accepting applications for our 2024 Grant Cycle in January.
Please review our grant eligibility requirements and project preferences below.
Eligibility
-
U.S. farms only are eligible
- Grant requests up to $5,000 maximum
- Applicant is an owner/operator of the farm or has long-term, legal access to the land. If farming on leased land, a letter of support from the landowner specifying length of the lease agreement must be provided with the grant application.
- Agricultural nonprofits are also encouraged to apply.
- The applicant farm must be an established working farm with at least 1 year of experience that is looking to improve operations.
- We welcome farms to re-apply for the same project or a different one if you have not been funded in an earlier grant cycle.
- Farm is small to medium-sized as determined by acreage in agricultural production. Farms with more than 300 acres in agricultural production are ineligible to apply.
Preferences for 2023
Projects are scored on their impact to help farms operate more sustainably as well as strengthen community, including but not limited to:
- Water Conservation (for example, drip irrigation & rainwater catchment)
- Natural Pest Control (for example, owl or bat boxes)
- Pollination (for example, beehives & pollinator hedgerows)
- Soil Health (for example, cover crops & minimizing tillage)
- Energy Efficiency (for example, renewable energy options like solar, geothermal & wind)
- Heirlooms (for example, not using GMO seed, saving heirloom seeds, using heritage varieties)
- Increase Low-Income Consumers’ Access to food (for example, expanding free or low-cost CSA shares)
- Equity, Community Building & Education (for example, sustainability education for new farmers, students, refugees, etc.)
- Support beginning and under-represented farmers including BIPOC and women
For examples of past grantees’ projects, visit the Alumni Grantees page.
What We Will Not Fund
- Non soil-based farming operations (i.e. hydroponic/aquaponic growing systems)
- Land purchases
- Costs associated with labor (your project budget should only include materials and supplies)
- Projects that require a percentage of the award be used for consultants or administration
- Requests that are dependent upon receiving funding from a separate, larger grant
- General marketing costs
- We’re not currently considering applications from farms that have already received a FGCF grant
How it Works
Farms can submit an initial application via our online portal. It will be linked on this apply page during the open application window. Projects that are chosen as finalists by our public volunteer grant review committee are invited to complete a second, more-detailed application.
Your Chances
We receive applications for many worthy projects but have limited funding available. Up to twenty (20) finalists will be invited to submit full applications.
Timeline
Submit an initial application by Monday, January 30, 2023 11:59 p.m. PST
Finalists will be notified by late February to provide a full application
2023 Grantees will be notified in early April.
Award checks issued to grantees in early May
Awarded projects should be implemented over the remainder of 2023 and successfully completed by December.
