Thank you for your interest in applying. We will be accepting applications in early January 2023.
Please review our grant eligibility requirements below.
Each year we award grants ranging from $1,000-$5,000 for projects that align with one or more of the core ideals detailed in our Sustainable Farming Manifesto. We are looking for projects that will continue to give back to the farm and its community, rather than one-and-done spending. We do not fund land purchases, consultants, labor, administrative, or general marketing costs.
Eligibility
- 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 may also apply.
- The applicant farm must be an established working farm with at least 1 year of experience that is looking to improve operations.
- Applicant has not been previously awarded a FruitGuys Community Fund grant. We are not currently funding past grantees.
- 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.
- Community outreach. Farmers will engage in community outreach, education, or advocacy surrounding sustainable agriculture. Engagement must be described in the grant proposal. Up to 10% of the total grant amount awarded may be used to support efforts for community outreach, education, and/or advocacy.
Focus on Small Farms: We are one of the only organizations that provide agricultural micro-grants for small farms in the U.S. Investing in farms as economic and social change agents.
National Reach: Open to all eligible small U.S. farms.
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
How it Works
Farms will be invited to submit a Letter of Intent for the initial round via our application portal. LOIs are scored according to criteria outlined in our Sustainable Farming Manifesto. Projects that are chosen as semi finalists by our public volunteer grant review committee are invited to complete a second, more-detailed application.
Your Chances
Each grant cycle we receive from 200-300 LOIs and fund between 10-20 grants.
