Farmer Fund

A PT Food Coop Grant Program

Our Purpose

The purpose of The Food Co-op Farmer Fund Grant Program is to help our local farmers strengthen their capacity to produce healthy food, making our community more resilient. Donations to fund the grant program are collected at the register and on the website.

Proposals are due by December 15, 2023, and the grants will be decided in January by our Community Engagement Committee, made up of board members, staff, and member-owners. Funds will be available in January. You don’t need to be a Co-op farmer to apply for a grant.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible applicants include all farmers who:

  • Grow food in Jefferson County;

  • Have been established in their current business for at least six months prior to applying; and

  • Have not received over $1,000 in grant funds from The Food Co-op during the prior year.

PROGRAM DETAILS

  • The number and amount of the grants will depend on how much money has been raised. In 2023, we have $2500.

  • Funds may be used for such things as machinery, construction, supplies, infrastructure development, services, maintenance, or other resources necessary for strengthening the applicant’s business.

  • Grants are not directly related to selling products to the Co-op, so you don’t need to worry about that process when applying.

  • When a grant is awarded, we’ll use information from your application, take photos, and visit your farm/operation to tell your story and the story of the project in our newsletter and other media.

GRANTEE REQUIREMENTS

  1. Grantee agrees not to use any funds for lobbying or political activities.

  2. Grantee will abide by our nondiscrimination policy that requires grantees to conduct business and serve customers without regard to race, sex, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability, political opinion, or national origin.

  3. Grantee will fill out a report within a year of the award, detailing the project, what was learned, changes to the plan, and results of the project, along with photos.

 

EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS

Criteria we consider:

  • The project accomplishes at least one of the following for the applicant:

    • expands their production and/or distribution of food;

    • increases their efficiency; and/or

    • helps strengthen their business.

  • The project adds to the resilience of our local agricultural economy and/or the health of our foodshed. To support these goals, preference will be given to:

    • farms that increase diversity in our agricultural economy;

    • projects that nurture historically marginalized communities;

    • projects that increase the applicant's environmental sustainability; and/or

    • farms that work cooperatively with or purchase directly from other local farmers, producers, or businesses.

  • The applicant has a specific plan for how to use the grant money.

  • The mission, values, and practices of the applicant do not conflict with our mission and values.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are due to The Food Co-op by December 15, 2023.

Submit your application online by clicking the button below.

Questions? See our FAQ, email our Marketing Manager Andrea Stafford at AndreaS@FoodCoop.Coop

Farmer Fund FAQs

  • YES

  • No, you could also produce dairy or meat.

  • No, but you need to produce food for our community. You could grow food for the food bank, for instance.

  • Yes

  • No. Our goal is to increase our county’s food resilience, so we want to encourage food grown here.

  • Yes, if you haven’t received more than $1000 in grant funds from the Co-op during the prior year. You may receive other kinds of funds or help and still apply.

  • Yes, if local ingredients are used.

  • Yes. Local fishermen and women traditionally fish in the waters of Alaska, but the business must be in Jefferson County.

  • No. We hope you will sell through the Co-op some day, but the grants are about increasing the food resilience of our community.

  • One definition, from the Handbook of Research on Race, Culture and Student Achievement, refers to people who are ”systematically excluded from full participation in the society and encounter barriers to achieving their potential.” People who have been marginalized include women, Black and indigenous people, people with disabilities, those who don’t conform to gender norms, etc.

  • You can join the Food Co-op’s Community Engagement Committee. There are three slots for members-at-large on the committee. You must attend committee meetings for six months before becoming a voting member.