Deadline: 16-Aug-21
The City of Boston and Office of Food Access have announced the Food Sovereignty Grant to address inequitable access to affordable and healthy food through urban farming projects and subsidized Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes.
The Food Sovereignty Grant will fund urban farming and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) projects to give Boston residents better access to healthy and affordable food, and support Boston-based farmers throughout different seasons.
Goals
- Raised Beds
- Goal 1: Provide opportunities for Boston residents or communities experiencing food insecurity to grow their own food with raised beds at home or hosted at a community site
- Goal 2: Strengthening community relationships around gardening
- Subsidized Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Shares
- Goal 1: Connect farmers directly to households that are experiencing food insecurity
- Goal 2: Connect families with different food resources across the City
Scope of Work
Applicants may receive funding for one or both initiatives.
- Raised Beds
- Build and install raised garden beds for program participants
- Farms involved will be responsible for the building and installation of raised garden beds for all program participants. This includes the materials for the beds, soil, seedlings, and other bed additions (cold frames, trellising, etc). Farms must be able to build custom beds that allow accessibility for persons with disabilities.
- Farms will set a number of raised beds they have the capacity to build during the season
- Target communities or neighborhoods most affected by food insecurity or at risk of food insecurity
- Provide technical gardening assistance and education for program participants
- Farms involved must be able to provide technical assistance to program participants to ensure their success. This can include bed maintenance, crop planning, planting, harvesting, seasonal bed upkeep, pest control, and garden education, cooking education or other.
- Technical assistance can be provided by the applicant, or in collaboration with other grantees
- Garden education must be inclusive and adaptable to the needs of program participants (i.e. seniors, persons with disabilities, language barriers).
- Actively build community/engage with program participants
- Hosting workshops, facilitating connection between participants
- Residents, community partners, community-faith based organizations, or City partners will need to fill out an application to get raised beds. Participating farms are encouraged to refer participants to the application form.
- Build and install raised garden beds for program participants
- Subsidized CSA Boxes
- Provide reasonably priced or reduced priced CSA boxes to people identified by the City of Boston.
- Farms will set a number of boxes they have the capacity provide per season
- Households will be identified by the Office of Food Access and the Age Strong Commission.
- Provide reasonably priced or reduced priced CSA boxes to people identified by the City of Boston.
Eligibility Criteria
- The City of Boston invites residents and non-profit organizations that serve Boston residents to submit proposals. It is open to any individual or entity who would like to respond. The City encourages participation from:
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- small and local entities
- minority-led
- women-led, and
- other disadvantaged entities
- Applicant organizations must serve Boston residents
- Produce subsidized through the Subsidized CSA grant is required to be grown and sourced in Boston
- Existing or planned collaborations with and among local community groups and partners are encouraged but not required
- Organizations must have a CoB Vendor ID: You can sign up for a vendor ID via given website.
For more information, visit https://www.boston.gov/departments/food-access/food-sovereignty-grants