Deadline: 2-Oct-20
Montgomery County is now accepting applications for its Farm to Food Bank Capacity Building Grant program.
Food for Montgomery, a public-private initiative working to address the alarming spike in food insecurity due to COVID-19, will provide more food to more people while also helping Montgomery County recover the pandemic.
Grant awards are funded by Federal CARES Act funding that was appropriated by the County Executive and Montgomery County Council to address local food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, Manna Food Center, and Food for Montgomery, a fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation.
Purpose
- Assist Montgomery County-based food-producing farms to purchase equipment, and/or build food production capacity and infrastructure in order to contribute to the Montgomery County Farm to Food Bank program in 2021.
Funding Categories
- Increased Production Capacity (equipment, supplies, infrastructure);
- Season extension (equipment, supplies, infrastructure);
- Increased Storage Capacity (onsite cold storage);
- Transportation/Machinery/Tools (refrigerated vans, new equipment, or repairs to existing equipment/infrastructure);
- Installation Costs.
Funding Information
- $200,000 in funding will be awarded to assist Montgomery County-based food-producing farms with the purchase of equipment, and/or to build food production capacity and infrastructure in order to contribute to the Montgomery County Farm to Food Bank program in 2021.
- Montgomery County farms can apply for up to $20,000.
One of more than a dozen strategies implemented through Food for Montgomery is the Montgomery County Farm to Food Bank program, which seeks to:
- Provide fresh, sufficient, nutritious, and diverse produce to food assistance recipients in Montgomery County.
- Support Montgomery County farmers, create new market opportunities for farm products, and develop new purchasing partnerships with local farms/farmers to ensure a sustained and resilient food supply for 2020-2021 and beyond.
- Reduce food waste by procuring products based on shelf-life, broadening the distribution of local farm products to additional County providers, and establishing a secondary sales market for these local products.
The Montgomery County Farm to Food Bank Capacity Building Grant is a partnership between the Montgomery County Food Security Task Force, the Montgomery County Food Council (MCFC), the Montgomery County Office of Agriculture, Manna Food Center, and the Greater Washington Community Foundation.
Eligibility Criteria
- Montgomery County-based food-producing farms that will provide Montgomery County grown products to the Montgomery County Farm to Food Bank program in 2021.
Timeline
- Open: Friday, September 18th, 2020
- Information Session for Applicants: September 21, 2020, 9 AM EST
- Deadline: Friday, October 2nd, 2020 at 12PM EST
- Taskforce Review: October 5th-October 9th, 2020
- Taskforce Announcement: October 14th, 2020
- Agreements Signed and Issued and Awards Processed: October 14-16th, 2020
- Final spend down of funds deadline: April 30, 2021
Grant applications will be reviewed on criteria that includes requests in the priority area such as food production equipment and infrastructure, and the ability of the farm to increase the quantities of culturally appropriate food being provided to local food assistance organizations, to enhance gender/racial/ethnic diversity within the agricultural producer community, and to engage in sustainable farming practices.
For more information, visit https://mocofoodcouncil.org/f2fbapp/