The Virginia Tech Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, Virginia State University’s (VSU) Small Farm Outreach Program, and partners are excited to announce the opening of applications for 2024-2025 mini-grants aimed at enhancing urban agriculture in Virginia. As a key component of the “Advancing Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems” Initiative, the goal of the mini-grant funding is to build the capacity of existing urban agriculture work in Virginia. This funding opportunity aligns with the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to define urban agriculture broadly to include farming and growing activity in an urban area. Grants will range from $5,000 to $15,000, with a project period of up to 12 months. These funds are aimed to assist those individuals, tribal entities, organizations, and/or community-based groups already active in urban agriculture. Successful projects must fill a perceived need and also align with the aims of the “Advancing Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems in Virginia” Initiative with priority given to proposals that focus on underserved farmers in urban communities.
Please read the Request for Proposals (RFP) information page for all the details needed about the mini-grants and submission process: Virginia Urban Agriculture Mini Grant RFP Information
Key Dates:
- Application Opens: Monday, June 17, 2024
- Application Deadline: Monday, August 19, 2024, by 5:00 PM ET
- Award Notification: Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Virtual Information Session:
- Register to attend Zoom webinar on July 26, 2024, 9:00-10:00 AM ET: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpce2gqjkqGNX5jqg98YWKprVBs53UJnGL#/registration
Funding aims:
- Increase capacity for growing food, expanding operations, implementing climate-friendly practices, and enhancing on-farm sustainability.
- Provide technical support to underserved farmers for supplying healthy food to their local urban communities.
- Improve community capacity in urban agriculture to achieve equity goals.
- Advance current agricultural activities in Virginia’s urban areas.
For More Information:
- For eligibility criteria, to register for the July 26th webinar, watch a recording of the June 20th webinar, and to learn how to apply, please visit our website at www.foodsystems.centers.vt.edu_UrbanAgVirginia_Mini-grants
- Direct link to RFP: Full RFP (English)
- Direct link to RFP: Full RFP (Spanish)
- For technical assistance, please contact Steph Zhu at: stephaniejzhu@vt.edu
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The “Advancing Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems in Virginia” Initiative is co-led by Virginia Tech and Virginia State University with funding provided by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Urban and Innovative Agriculture Community-Based Organization Fund.
Petersburg Oasis CommUNITY Farm and Happily Natural Day are community-based project partners leading programming in Petersburg and Richmond, VA.
The Project Team and Advisory Group of the “Advancing Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems in Virginia” Initiative guided the creation of the Mini-Grant Request for Proposals.