Renewing the Countryside and USDA

Twin Cities Urban Agriculture Micro-Grant Program

Renewing the Countryside is excited to work with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and other partners to enrich urban agriculture in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Our goal is to support the great work that people are already doing in urban food-growing spaces. As a part of this initiative, we will support urban farmers and gardeners in accessing USDA and other resources to grow a stronger local food and farming system, host urban farm and garden field days, coordinate micro business management training for growers, and hold cultural competency/anti-oppression training for organizations. Additionally, we are introducing new micro-grant programs. We accepted applications for these micro-grant opportunities until March 31, 2024. We will be spending the month of April reviewing applications and will notify applicants of results in May, 2024. 

Please browse the below sections for background information, application instructions, and additional supportive materials. 

Background Information

Application Instructions

Frequently Asked Questions

Glossary

Additional Information

Background Information

The goals of this micro-grant program are to help urban farmers and gardeners expand their production ability, access land and markets, use conservation practices, and increase their resilience to the various risks of farming in urban settings. To ground this initiative in the history and current urban agriculture ecosystem of the Twin Cities, a Steering Committee has been created with folks from across the Twin Cities Metro area who will guide this work.

We, the Steering Committee responsible for facilitating these Twin Cities urban agriculture initiative micro-grants, gratefully acknowledge those who came before us, those who have cared for the land and the water, those who have been unjustly removed from this land, and those who have sought justice and equity. We acknowledge that these legacies, an inheritance of both oppressions and privileges, have shaped our food system in the Twin Cities metro area today. This legacy directly impacts who has access to land for food production, and for how long; who has access to the capacity and desire to take on the gamble of urban farming; and what support our community offers to its farmers, to list a few of the current day realities.

We acknowledge this complex inheritance in our work so that we may actively work to engage with these histories, reverse injustices, and strive not to perpetuate systemic inequities. While holding these realities, we intend to contribute to healing our food system and the people who support it.

Three urban agriculture initiative objectives

The three urban agriculture initiative objectives for the micro-grants as set forth by the Renewing the Countryside-based planning team, working in partnership with USDA, include:

  • Objective 1. Increase the numbers of producers who can access and utilize tools, resources, and technical assistance associated with growing food in an urban area by building capacity and cultural competence among urban-farmer-serving organizations, including USDA
  • Objective 2. Increase knowledge, awareness, and participation in FSA and USDA programs and services in the Twin Cities metro area
  • Objective 3. Assist farmers with expanding their farming operations, accessing land, and implementing climate-friendly practices that can mitigate their susceptibility to natural disasters in urban areas 

Micro-grant applicant types

The intended recipients of these micro-grants are people growing food and other natural products in the Twin Cities Metro area, including those growing food for home consumption and/or donation, as well as those who are farming as a business. Micro-grants are available for 4 applicant types: 

  • Farmers/gardeners growing for home consumption and/or sharing ($200-$10,000/micro-grant)
  • Farmers/gardeners growing as an income source ($2,000-$10,000/micro-grant)
  • Organizations that support urban farmers/gardeners ($5,000-$40,000/micro-grant) 
  • Community gardens that are currently designated as, or would like to become, a USDA People’s Garden: ($3,000-$15,000/micro-grant)

Micro-grants for organizations (third applicant-type above) can be received up to 3 years in a row, and are meant to help recipient organizations provide direct support to farmers/gardeners in the form of education, technical assistance, or by providing land/garden space to use (all examples). For all other applicant types, the micro-grants are intended as one-time-only awards.

Application selection criteria

Application selection criteria for all applicant types will relate to:

  • project design and feasibility
  • impact on sustainability and environment
  • contribution to local food security or community/economic development
  • overall contribution to at least one of the three urban agriculture program objectives (listed above)

If you are unsure about whether you meet these criteria, you are welcome to reach out to us to discuss how your initiative may already meet these criteria. We recognize that each initiative/situation has a unique and dynamic set of intentions and circumstances that can positively contribute to our collective efforts.

Grant eligibility criteria

The grant eligibility criteria include: 

  • Individual or collaborative groups of urban gardeners/farmers 
  • Nonprofits and other organizations that serve/support urban farmers/gardeners
  • Preference for farms/gardens located in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area (Anoka, Ramsey, Washington, Dakota, Scott, Carver, Hennepin counties), but farms/gardens within ~100 mile radius of Minneapolis and Saint Paul will be considered
  • Preference for farms/gardens aiming to protect or improve biodiversity, soil, and water quality through growing practices, and/or to benefit their local community

 

Application Instructions

This application process is meant to be easily accessible. If you need any help, RTC staff is available to answer your questions, help you complete the application, and will gladly provide translation services. We will do our best to provide micro-grant guidance on grant design and connect applicants to potential mentors and/or technical assistance. For questions or assistance with your application, please contact us at: [email protected]

Even after completing your application, if you feel that your grant application does not fully represent your initiative and how you plan to use these grant funds, please reach out to us. We would like to fully understand your project, especially if you feel that our questions in the application do not give you the opportunity to explain it well.

For simplicity and accessibility, RTC has bundled three separate funding streams into a single application process. The funding streams include micro-grants for urban farmers and micro-grants for organizations (both funded through RTC’s cooperator agreement with FSA); as well as micro-grants for People’s Gardens (funded through RTC’s cooperator agreement with NRCS). We have created this single “common application” that includes a set of questions for all applicants to answer, regardless of applicant type, and then sets of questions to be answered for your individual applicant type. This process will be more fully explained below.

Choose how to submit your application

To begin this application process, choose how you would like to submit your application: You are able to choose the form of your application. We will accept answers to the application questions in any of the following forms:

  • Google Form–filled out online (Preferred, but will be considered equally to all other submission types)
  • Handwritten or typed paper–submitted by mail or email, see contact information at bottom of application
  • Phone call interview (interpreter available–please contact for more information)
    • Contact [email protected] with subject "[your name or organization] micro-grant application - phone call interview"
  • Recording of spoken answers - both audio and video will be accepted, but video/visuals will not be taken into consideration during application review
    • Contact [email protected] with subject "[your name or organization] micro-grant application - recording of spoken answers"

Select micro-grant type

Select the type of micro-grant you plan to apply for: 

You can apply for any of the listed micro-grant programs (below) through this same application form. 

  • Are you an individual or community garden/farm growing food/natural products for home consumption or sharing? 
    • Please provide answers for the  Contact information section, Section A (basic information), Section B (project details), Section C (non-commercial garden/farm applicants), and Section G (budget). 
  • Are you an individual or community garden/farm growing food/natural products as an income source? 
    • Please provide answers for the Contact information section, Section A (basic information), Section B (project details), Section D (farm business applicants), and Section G (budget). 
  • Are you applying for an organization that supports urban farmers/gardeners? 
    • Please provide answers for the Contact information section, Section A (basic information), Section B (project details), Section E (organizations), and Section G (budget). 
  • Are you applying for a collaborative, non-commercial, educational community garden that is, or would like to become, a USDA People’s Garden? 
    • Please provide answers for the Contact information section, Section A (basic information), Section B (project details), Section F (People’s Garden), and Section G (budget).

Stated another way: Every applicant will provide answers in their application for the Contact information section, Section A (basic information), Section B (project details), and Section G (budget). In addition to these sections, you must complete one other section (either C, D, E, or F), depending on your application type.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

If my project is eligible for multiple grant programs, can I submit an application to more than one? 

Review the goals of each grant program (in "Select micro-grant type" section of Application Instructions) to see which one has objectives that most closely align with your project’s goals. If you’d like, you may submit an application to multiple grant programs; however, each project must have a separate application completed and submitted. 

Because this initiative aims to build capacity for as many urban farmers and gardeners as possible, it will be most worthwhile to apply for multiple programs if there are multiple quite different projects to be funded. If the goal is to apply for more funds than encouraged in one program, talk to the program staff about other plausible funding sources.

 

If I’m applying for a community garden site, which grant program should I apply for?

Your project may be a good fit as a People’s Garden (see entry on People’s Garden below) applicant if your site uses sustainable practices that benefit people and wildlife AND you provide educational programming related to gardening and resilient, local food systems. If not, your site will fit best as a non-commercial garden/farm applicant. 

 

What is a People’s Garden? 

The People's Garden program is a USDA supported project that began in 2009.

The People’s Garden community connects gardens across the country that produce local food, practice sustainability, and bring people together in their community. People’s Gardens can take many different forms; they can include:

  • Food-producing gardens
  • Wildlife habitat
  • Conservation or beautification projects
  • Education and training spaces

The People’s Garden was named in honor of USDA’s founder, President Abraham Lincoln, who described USDA as “The People’s Department.” Secretary Tom Vilsack started the first People’s Garden on February 12, 2009 – Lincoln’s 200th birthday. See more at: https://www.usda.gov/peoples-garden/what-pg 

 

Why would I need a fiscal sponsor? How do I find a fiscal sponsor? (Needed for organizations only.) 

For an organization to receive a micro-grant through this program, it needs to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or to have a fiscal sponsor. If you are not a 501(c)(3) or do not have a fiscal sponsor, you will need to identify a fiscal sponsor partner organization.

By building relationships and partnering with a trusted and flexible fiscal sponsor, organizations may be able to access funding from a greater number of sources more easily, and may be more straightforwardly able to navigate application and record-keeping requirements. The amount charged by the fiscal sponsor generally falls between 5-10% of the funding received and a max of 10% per this grant program. If you would like assistance finding a fiscal sponsor, please contact [email protected]

 

Is my site considered part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area defined by the micro-grants program? 

There is a preference for farms/gardens located in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area (Anoka, Ramsey, Washington, Dakota, Scott, Carver, Hennepin counties), but farms/gardens within ~100 mile radius of Minneapolis and Saint Paul will be considered. 

 

What are the selection criteria?

Application selection criteria for all applicant types will relate to: 

  • project design and feasibility (do the community reviewers think the project is doable and can be completed as described in the application?)
  • impact on sustainability and environment (does the project do things like build soil quality with compost, mulch, or cover crops; create pollinator habitat; or use organic practices, for example)
  • contribution to local food security or community/economic development (does the project increase local access to fresh foods and produce, value-added products, job opportunities, and mutual aid?)
  • overall contribution to at least one of the three urban agriculture initiative objectives for the micro-grants as set forth by the RTC-based planning team, working in partnership with USDA (does the project align with or support these USDA/RTC objectives) (below)

 

What are the three RTC and USDA urban agriculture initiative objectives? 

  • Objective 1. Increase the numbers of producers who can access and utilize tools, resources, and technical assistance associated with growing food in an urban area by building capacity and cultural competence among urban-farmer-serving organizations, including USDA
  • Objective 2. Increase knowledge, awareness, and participation in FSA and USDA programs and services in the Twin Cities metro area
  • Objective 3. Assist farmers with expanding their farming operations, accessing land, and implementing climate-friendly practices that can mitigate their susceptibility to natural disasters in urban areas

 

What are other sources of support?

Some other funding sources and other resources include:

Funding Sources

Informational Resources/Guides

 

Why does the application start with an ancestral acknowledgement?

The historical and relational acknowledgments we begin with help our work intentionally engage with the many gifts, privileges, injustices, and traumas that our ancestry passes down to us. Today's farm programs have been developed from New Deal era politics that institutionalized certain inequalities and shaped agriculture in ways that have led to some social and environmental problems. To read more about how people have been working with the USDA to address these problems and improve farm programs for the past hundred years, see Jess Gilbert's 2015 book Planning Democracy: Agrarian Intellectuals and the Intended New Deal.

 

Will my project require an environmental review?

Your project will probably not be subject to an environmental review for activities involving educational/informational programming or obtaining goods or services. It also likely will not require environmental review if you do not plan to disturb the ground (by digging for example) deeper or more extensively than it has previously been disturbed. For activities that require a site review, please see the numbered list below. 

Microgrant Environmental Review Process:

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) will comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the implementing regulations in 40 CFR Parts 1500 – 1508, and FSA’s NEPA implementing Regulations in 7 CFR Part 799 for cooperative agreements entered under the FSA Urban and Innovative Agriculture Community-Based Organization Fund. After review at the programmatic level, USDA determined that, in general, cooperative agreements entered under Section 1001 of the Build Back Better Act, Food Systems Transformation Effort do not have the potential for significant impacts to the human environment. FSA has determined that the following categories of activities are categorically excluded from further review under the National Environmental Policy Act, per 7 CFR § 799.31:

  • Educational or informational (i.e., outreach) activities; and
  • Procurement actions for goods and services conducted in accordance with Executive Orders.


However, a site-specific review will be needed for activities funded through the cooperative agreement, or subsequent micro-grant programs, if any of the following conditions are true:

  1. Disturb ground to a level that has not been previously disturbed, remove any trees, remove any tree roots, or use mechanical means to remove damaged fencing or debris that will impact below the level of previous disturbance.
  2. Place a farm storage or other facility on a farm eligible for or listed on the National Register of Historic Places and would have a visual impact to the historic character of the farm.
  3. Modify, renovate, or remove a structure or building that is 50 years old or older.
  4. Involve an activity including new land clearing, impacts to any water body, wetland, floodplain, riparian buffer, threatened or endangered species, their critical habitat, or cultural resources that would otherwise require consultation.
  5. Result in any extraordinary circumstances in accordance with Handbook 1-EQ (Rev. 3) Par. 25.
  6. Change the existing land use or remove the land from agricultural use.
  7. Involve FSA actions or programs not specified in this P-850, not approved in that municipality, or for which an individual site-specific FSA-850 or environmental assessment is required.


For micro-grants, the grantee must satisfy any site-specific NEPA requirements identified by FSA prior to drawing down funds or incurring expenses related to the micro-grant. Once these conditions have been successfully completed, FSA will notify the grantee that the review is complete. At that time, the distribution and expenditure of micro-grant funds will be authorized. Before the NEPA process is completed, Federal regulations specify acceptable actions in 40 CFR § 1506.1.

 

How are you spreading awareness and sharing information about these micro-grants?

We are hosting this webpage with all the information about the micro-grants program, including application instructions and a link to an online application form. A link to the micro-grants webpage will be broadcast widely through social media postings, media releases, email, on RTC’s homepage, and through Morning Ag Clips.

Emails will go to a list of several hundred people representing multiple agencies and organizations across the Twin Cities involved in urban agriculture and/or led by people of color, as well as neighborhood associations. Additional email addresses were also collected following our December 15, 2023, pre-release announcement about the microgrants program, where we provided a link to a sign-up to receive the application materials. Emails will also be sent through relevant list-serves, including the “sustag” list hosted by the University of Minnesota, and we will distribute fliers at events, such as the January 15, 2024, Urban Agriculture conference hosted by the Farm Bureau.

Finally, the Urban Ag Steering Committee, which is guiding this microgrants program, will be encouraged to disseminate the announcement through their respective networks, ensuring that the culturally diverse communities the steering committee members represent will be informed about the microgrants opportunity.

If you know about any folks or organizations that we should add to our outreach plan, please contact us at [email protected]. Also, please share the micro-grants information with your networks! 

 

Glossary

Agriculture - Agriculture means land and associated structures used for the purposes of growing produce, including fruits, vegetables, trees, plants, flowers and other similar crops, and raising animals–like chickens and bees–for food and other products. 

 

Ancestral Acknowledgement - Many communities position themselves and their activities in relation to their lineage: those who have come before us, and whose inheritance influences us, for better and for worse. Given the rich and complex and often troubled history of agriculture, especially in relation to government and economy, we are building from a foundation of open exchange, cultural competency, and honest acknowledgement and reckoning with the histories we are inheriting and participating in with these programs.

 

Biodiversity - Biodiversity is the variety of life in an environment. Biodiversity is important to agriculture because it helps maintain soil quality and makes crops more resilient to pests, disease, and climate change. 

 

BIPOC Communities - The acronym “BIPOC,” standing for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color is often used to complement less specific categories used in government programs, such as “socially disadvantaged applicant” (SDA) or “historically marginalized group.” Although the term can be frustrating for the way it appears to lump groups together, it came into use to acknowledge the specific challenges involved in anti-Black and anti-Indigenous structural racism.

 

Commercial/Non-commercial Agriculture - Commercial agriculture is the production of livestock or agricultural commodities and the offering of those commodities for sale, for profit. Non-commercial agriculture is the production of crops and livestock for the consumption of the farmer and community. Other distinguishing features include purpose, number of workers involved or not involved in overall farm decision making, scale of machinery use and farm size, and relationships with other businesses, including for finance.

 

Community/economic development - Initiatives, activities or events contributing to the growth and improvement of local communities and economies.

 

Community Garden - A community garden is a cooperatively cultivated space, typically located in an urban or suburban landscape. Community gardens provide a way for individuals, families, or community groups who do not have access to adequate land to participate in gardening and small-scale agriculture. Community gardens range in their sizes and organizational structures, and may be located on public or private land. Benefits associated with community gardens may include aesthetics, food security, interpersonal relationships, crime reduction, community development, entrepreneurial opportunities, environmental sustainability, and many others.

 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) - A CSA consists of a community of individuals who commit to supporting a farm operation, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Each CSA is unique, however consumers commonly pay for a share–or a portion of a share–and regularly receive the amount of available produce proportional to their investment.

 

Cultural Competence - An individual's ability to effectively interact, function, and engage with different cultural backgrounds with a sensitivity and respect of the differing values, beliefs, customs, and norms that differ from one’s own. 

 

Farm Stand - A farm stand is a station–either temporary or permanent–from which agricultural and value-added products are sold. Many urban municipalities have rules governing farm stands and “farm-gate sales.” 

 

Farmers’ Market - A market where farmers and gardeners gather to sell their products to other community members, usually occurring regularly during the growing season in Minnesota. 

 

Fiscal sponsorship - A fiscal sponsor is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization that receives and directs funding on behalf of an organization that is not classified as tax-exempt and may face systemic barriers when working to obtain funding. (See FAQ for more information about fiscal sponsorship)

 

Micro-grant - For the RTC/USDA urban agriculture micro-grant program, a micro-grant is a financial award that is given to awardees and is not to be paid back (See, in contrast, entry on USDA Loans.). For garden/farm applicants, micro-grants can range from $200-$10,000. Micro-grants for organizations that support urban farmers/gardeners have a range of $5,000-$40,000, and for People’s Gardens, the micro-grant amount can be anywhere between $3,000-$15,000. 

 

Nonprofit organization - There are many types of nonprofit organizations. The most relevant nonprofit organization to the micro-grants process is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which is considered a public charity organization. These organizations’ activities allow them to qualify for not paying federal income taxes. In current economic systems, this type of entity is often well-positioned to receive and manage grants from most funding sources. As a result, in order to receive a micro-grant, it may be helpful for organizations that are not registered as a nonprofit to partner with a nonprofit that can serve as a fiscal sponsor. 

 

Other natural products - This includes plants, livestock, or mushrooms grown for food, medicine, or other uses.

 

Producers - Any individual gardener, farmer, group of growers, or organizations that grow fruits, vegetables and other crops for individual, family, community, and commercial consumption.

 

Renewing the Countryside (RTC) - RTC is a Minnesota nonprofit focused on strengthening communities through providing education, partnership, and assistance. 

RTC is collaborating with Farm Services Agency (FSA) to provide outreach, education, and technical assistance to urban farmers to support the growth of the new USDA Service Center in the Twin Cities, and to provide feedback to FSA about how to best support urban farmers. RTC will also be administering an urban agriculture micro-grants program in the Twin Cities through the USDA National Urban Ag Initiative, which is supporting urban farmers and agriculture in at least 17 cities nationwide. 

RTC is also collaborating with NRCS and its People’s Garden program to administer a micro-grants program to Twin Cities gardens.  

 

Revenues - Funds gained through sales.

 

Self-funding - Used to describe organizations, individuals, or families who cover costs though their own efforts, resources, and project revenue. (Historically, one of the challenges of small-scale agriculture has been its dependence on family labor and self-exploitation, particularly in the absence of equitable credit and land tenure systems.)

 

Synthetic Inputs - Unlike sourced materials that are often already present–like compost and manure–synthetic inputs are materials used for agriculture–like chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides–that are deliberately manufactured. 

 

Urban agriculture - For the purposes of this initiative, urban agriculture refers to the growing, production, processing, distribution, donation, and sale of food within urban, suburban, and peri-urban (i.e., on the perimeter of urban areas) areas for commercial, non-commercial, hobby, educational, or nonprofit purposes.

 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - USDA provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management. The USDA is made up of 29 agencies.

  • Farm Service Agency (FSA) - FSA is an agency of the USDA that focuses on agricultural policy, credit and loan programs, and conservation, commodity, disaster and farm marketing programs through a national network of offices. FSA is funding the farmer/gardener, community garden, and organization micro-grants. The agency is also developing urban service centers to support growers in the Twin Cities metro area, along with other metro areas across the U.S.  

 

USDA Loans - Loans are a form of credit: funds paid at a point in time and repaid at an agreed-upon future point in time, usually for an agreed-upon rate of interest.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers many loan programs for farmers; most notable for applicants to these programs will be the ones highlighted in the USDA handout on urban agriculture. 

 

Value-added products - Agricultural products that have been processed or modified to increase their market value or shelf life, for example, raspberries made into jam. 

 

Additional Information

Renewing the Countryside and USDA Urban Agriculture Micro-Grants - Informational Packet 

This informational packet is for your reference and includes the following elements: (1) RTC/USDA urban agriculture objectives; (2) selection criteria; (3) eligibility criteria; (4) eligible costs; (5) example projects; (6) grantmaking timeline; and (7) project documentation. The micro-grants application itself can be accessed in the above Application Instructions section. 

RTC/USDA Twin Cities urban agriculture initiative objectives:

  • Objective 1. Increase the numbers of producers who can access and utilize tools, resources, and technical assistance associated with growing food in an urban area by building capacity and cultural competence among urban-farmer-serving organizations, including USDA
  • Objective 2. Increase knowledge, awareness, and participation in FSA and USDA programs and services in the Twin Cities metro area
  • Objective 3. Assist farmers with expanding their farming operations, accessing land, and implementing climate-friendly practices that can mitigate their susceptibility to natural disasters in urban areas

Selection Criteria:

  • project design and feasibility
  •  impact on sustainability and environment
  • contribution to local food security or community/economic development
  • overall contribution to at least one of the three urban agriculture program objectives (listed above)

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Individual or collaborative groups of urban gardeners/farmers 
  • Nonprofits and other organizations that serve/support urban farmers/gardeners
  • Preference for farms/gardens located in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area (Anoka, Ramsey, Washington, Dakota, Scott, Carver, Hennepin counties), but farms/gardens within ~100 mile radius of Minneapolis and Saint Paul will be considered
  • Preference for farms/gardens aiming to protect or improve biodiversity, soil, and water quality through growing practices, and/or to benefit their local community
  • Preference for proposals with no new ground disturbances below the existing plow zone or disturbance area (see FAQ entry on environmental review for further explanation)

Eligible costs:

  • Equipment, tools, supplies
  • On-farm infrastructure (e.g. fencing, sheds, hoop house)
  • Irrigation systems
  • Farmland purchase or leasing
  • Organic certification
  • Soil testing
  • Perennial plants/seeds for conservation projects
  • Seeds or plants for production purposes
  • Livestock
  • Staff or contractor support 
  • Professional service providers or qualified consultants (other farmers or business owners, marketing specialists, web designers, etc.)
  • Fiscal sponsorship fees
  • Insurance costs
  • Signage 

Potential projects include:

  • Season extension projects
  • Biodiversity, water, and soil conservation projects
  • Soil toxicity mitigation projects
  • Farmland access or acquisition support
  • Developing a system for irrigation, including rainwater harvesting approaches 
  • Developing a composting system or soil-building practice
  • Building raised beds
  • Transitioning to organic certification and other regenerative farming practice
  • Transitioning from gardening to market gardening as a small business
  • Enhancing marketing capacity by adding cold storage or packaging capacity, developing a farmers’ market stand, improving web design, etc.
  • Innovations that improve efficiencies, growing practices or product quality
  • New product development such as value-added farm goods, diversifying crops or livestock, etc. 

Micro-grants Timeline: Below is our proposed timeline, please note that the dates may change and shift as we go through this process for the first time:

  • March 1, 2024: Application opens
  • March 31, 2024: Application period closes; proposals due
  • April 2024: Applications reviewed and selected
  • May 2024: Applicants notified; awards distributed soon after
  • Summer/Fall 2024: Story Mobile visits to document a selection of grant projects
  • December 31, 2024: Due date for awardee photos documenting how funds were spent, and their responses to a series of questions.

Project Documentation with Grant Recipients:

  • For all grantees:
    We will work with StoryMobile to visit a selection of urban farms/gardens during the summer to create a video, which will be shared with collaborators and used for promotional purposes. We recognize that sometimes a project needs to pivot or change in scope. In such cases, we ask that grant recipients communicate any changes, describe why things changed, how the funds were used, and the impact of the new project.
  • For farmer/gardener micro-grant recipients:
    We will ask the micro-grant recipients to answer a short series of questions and share photos from their project no later than 12/31 in the year funds were awarded.
  • For People’s Garden and organization micro-grant recipients:
    We will ask organizations and People’s Gardens to submit semi-annual reports, allow for photo/video documentation of their projects, and to host a site visit.

RTC can offer grant recipients support for meeting reporting requirements. 

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312 Center Street East, Hammond MN 55991 | [email protected] | (507) 291-3663     

 

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