Urban Farming Grants
- Urban farming seeks to improve the distribution and sustainability of food systems by cultivating food in areas where large populations live.Urban Skyline image by Barlev from Fotolia.com
Urban farming is the practice of cultivating food in urban environments--city parks, abandoned lots and residential yards. Some government agencies, private foundations and hunger-issues advocates have looked to urban farming as a potential means of helping to achieve environmental sustainability and end hunger. Responding to this interest, grant makers have funded projects in urban agriculture planning, development and education. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture often funds projects that help to increase the food security and quality of impoverished communities while developing novel approaches to ending poverty. These projects are diverse, but grants have including assisting community organizations and businesses with implementing urban agriculture projects. The grant requires a dollar-for-dollar match of resources provided, so funded projects are expected to secure their own funding for these programs as well. The program is designed to support entrepreneurial efforts and the self-sufficiency of struggling communities.
Community Food Projects Grant Program
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
800 Ninth St. SW
Washington, DC 20024
202-720-4423
nifa.usda.gov - A grant program funded by the automaker Subaru and administered by the National Gardening Association aims to support urban agriculture by financing educational programs in gardening. This program is targeted at community gardening projects that serve an educational and nutritional purpose.
These grants are smaller than those of the government or private foundations, but they're also somewhat less competitive. Applicants can receive funding to help buy educational materials and develop curriculum for urban farming education. Typically these grants are awarded to schools, but awards also have been made to local health departments and anti-hunger organizations such as food banks.
Subaru Healthy Sprouts Awards
National Gardening Association
1100 Dorset St.
South Burlington, VT 05403
800-538-7476
kidsgardening.org - The Captain Planet Foundation, funded by TBS, helps to support environmental education and school gardens.gardener boy image by Piter Pkruger from Fotolia.com
Community and educational farming projects, among other environmental causes, are eligible for funding through grants from the Captain Planet Foundation. The organization, funded by Turner Broadcasting and its parent, Time Warner, seeks to support environmental education programs for youths. The foundation's Learning Gardens grant program aids school garden projects. The foundation believes these programs may help communities achieve environmental sustainability while improving students' education in math, science and social studies. Awards of $500 to $2,000 fund projects in composting, school gardening and community education.
Captain Planet Foundation
133 Luckie St.
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-522-4270
captainplanetfoundation.org
