Sustainable Community Innovation Grants

Who can apply?
Any person or organization with an idea that will link sustainable agriculture activities to healthy rural community development. Read highlights of current Sustainable Community Innovation Grants.

What activities are eligible?
Any activities that will increase knowledge, build capacity and make connections between farms and rural communities to the benefit of people who live in those communities. This could include, but is not limited to, developing farmers markets, establishing nutrition classes about the benefits of local foods and facilitating local processing of pastured livestock.

How much will the grants fund?
Project maximums are $10,000 for up to two years of activities.

Successful proposals include:

• Partnerships. All relevant stakeholders in the community should be represented, including producers, civic organizations, local government and entrepreneurs. To that mix should be added researchers, community development professionals, environmentalists and other specialists as needed.
• Multiple disciplines. Even though scientists are trained within disciplines, real-world agricultural problems seldom occur within such neat boundaries. The research team should consist of cooperators from a variety of disciplines who design a plan to integrate their efforts.
• Linkages. Link sound farm and non-farm economic development with agricultural and natural resource management.

For more information, see the Call for Proposals. If you have questions on how to apply that the call for proposals doesn't address, or if you want a copy of the call for proposals mailed to you, please email Paige Patton or call her at (770) 412-4787.