Farmers of Color Network Infrastructure Grants
RAFI-USA’s Farmers of Color Network Fund provides support to farmers for projects that will increase farm viability, support community food sovereignty efforts, preserve traditional and cultural farming practices, as well as assist local food economies. Funds are available to members of the Farmers of Color Network. If you are not already a member, this application will serve as your membership intake form.
What is the grant amount?
Applicants may request up to $10,000 in funding. This applies to individual farm projects as well as collaborative projects for cooperatives, collectives, or two or more farms. Please note, grant awards are taxable income.
Who is Eligible?
To be eligible for this grant, farmers must:
- Earn a significant amount of their personal income from their farm operation.
- Identify as a farmer of color.
- Have at least three years farming experience* and have worked two years in their current farming operation and location.
- Be farming in the Southeast region of the US: this includes AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, and VA.**
- Complete and submit an application by the deadline. Farmers may only submit one application (as an individual or a collective)
Guidelines
We fund promising on-farm projects that demonstrate an ability to increase farm sustainability; establish new markets for local products and services; develop new uses for existing structures and equipment; add value to existing farm products through processing, packaging or marketing; make optimal use of on-farm and natural resources; and Cultural/Heritage projects which are focused on preserving and continuing a specific agrarian tradition.
Funding priority will be given to proposals with:
- High expected impact on farm viability and sustainability
- Strong project feasibility and planning: a clear plan, detailed budget and timeline, and all supporting documentation included.
- Individual financial need, or location in an economically disadvantaged area
- Farmers who have not previously received an infrastructure grant from RAFI-USA.
What is the grant process? Eligible applications will be reviewed by a panel of stakeholders and RAFI-USA staff.
We will inform applicants of decisions via email by late March.
For farmers who are awarded a grant, we will collect a grant agreement and W9 in order to process payment. Grantees can expect to be paid in April – May, dependent upon submission of these items.
Payments will be made in two installments:
85% upfront
15% upon completion of a final report (due by December 1, 2023)
Farmers of Color Network Beginning Farmer Stipends
RAFI-USA’s Farmers of Color Network Fund supports the success of beginning farmers by helping to reduce financial barriers. Funds will be used to cover farming start-up and/or production costs.
Individual applicants may request between $3,000 – $5,000 in funding.
We support farmers of color in AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, SC, TN, and VA.
Funds are available to members of the Farmers of Color Network. If you are not already a member, this application will serve as your membership intake form.
The application deadline is Monday, March 13, 2023.
Use of Funds
Funds will be used to support beginning farmers of color in meeting their farming goals. This stipend is intended to help cover costs that limit your ability to start, run, or grow your desired farming operation.Funding may support building new infrastructure; buying tools and equipment; covering operating costs such as seeds, compost, or marketing materials; completing farm repairs and maintenance; or hiring additional farm labor. Please note stipend funds are taxable income.
Farmer Qualifications – Who Can Apply?
Only persons identifying as farmers of color may apply. This funding is intended to support farmers with less than 3 years of experience as a principal operator, who are committed to owning and operating a viable, sustainable farm business. You must be the owner or co-owner of the farming operation, or plan to launch your farm business in 2023. Only one co-owner of a collective farm operation may apply on behalf of their organization.You must be farming or ranching in the US Southeast: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, SC, TN, or VA. Farmers producing any agricultural product, at any scale, and for any market, are invited to apply. Staff and Board members of RAFI-USA are not eligible to apply. Farmers who have received FOCN infrastructure grant funding from RAFI-USA in 2020, 2021, or 2022 are not eligible to apply.
Notification, Spending and Reporting
Farmers can apply for a funding amount between $3,000-$5,000. Successful applicants will be notified in April 2023. Funds will be paid in two installments, 85% in Spring of 2023 and the remaining 15% when the final report is received. Funds must be spent before Nov 30, 2023. Farmers must complete a brief final report by November 30, 2023, describing how funds were used, lessons learned, and any changes made to the original plan.
Evaluation Criteria
The review team will prioritize applications that describe a clear goal and plan of action. Reading your application, they should understand exactly how funds will be spent, and feel confident that you will be able to succeed in carrying out your plan. Reviewers will prioritize applicants for whom this amount of money provides a significant boost to farm viability. Eligible applications will be scored on the basis of four main criteria:
Impact on Farm Viability – How will this project improve the viability and sustainability of the farm?
Farmer Commitment – How has the farmer invested time and resources towards their farming goal beyond applying for this grant?
Plan and Capacity – Is the plan thorough, detailed, and realistic?
Need – Will receiving this grant make the project possible?
Caribbean Agriculture Network Infrastructure Grants
The RAFI-USA’s Caribbean Agriculture Network provides support to farmers in the Caribbean Territories for projects that will increase farm viability, support community food sovereignty efforts, preserve traditional & cultural farming practices, as well as assist local food economies.
What is the grant amount?
Applicants may request up to $5,000 in funding.
Who is Eligible?
To be eligible for this grant, farmers must:
- Earn a significant amount of their personal income from their farm operation.
- Have at least three years farming experience and have worked two years in their current farming operation and location.
- Be farming in the US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico.
Complete and submit an application by the deadline. Farmers may only submit one application.
Guidelines
We fund promising on-farm projects that demonstrate an ability to increase farm sustainability; establish new markets for local products and services; develop new uses for existing structures and equipment; add value to existing farm products through processing, packaging or marketing; make optimal use of on-farm and natural resources; and Cultural/Heritage projects which are focused on preserving and continuing a specific agrarian tradition.
Funding priority will be given to proposals with:
- High expected impact on farm viability and sustainability
- Strong project feasibility and planning: a clear plan, detailed budget and timeline, and all supporting documentation included.
- Individual financial need, or location in an economically disadvantaged area
- Farmers who have not previously received an infrastructure grant from RAFI-USA
Grant Process
Eligible applications will be reviewed by a panel of stakeholders and RAFI-USA staff to select finalists.
RAFI-USA staff will meet finalists in person, and visit their farming operations in April 2023.
We will inform applicants of decisions via email or phone call.
For farmers who are awarded a grant, we will collect a grant agreement and W9 in order to process payment. Grantees can expect to be paid in May 2023, dependent upon submission of these items.
Payments will be made in two installments:
85% upfront
15% upon completion of a final report (due by December 1, 2023)
Los Subsidios de Infraestructura de la Red de Agricultura del Caribe
El Fondo de la Red de Agricultura del Caribe RAFI-USA, adscrito a la Red de Agricultores(as) de Color en USA, brinda subsidios a agricultores para apoyar proyectos que aumenten su viabilidad agrícola, apoyen los esfuerzos de soberanía alimentaria de su comunidad, preserven las prácticas agrícolas tradicionales y culturales, y ayuden a las economías alimentarias locales.
¿Cuál es el monto del subsidio?
Se pueden solicitar hasta $5,000 de subsidio.
¿Quién es elegible?
Para ser elegible para este subsidio se debes cumplir con los siguientes requerimientos:
- Que seas un(a) agricultor(a) que recibe una parte significativa de tus ingresos personales de la operación de tu finca.
- Identifícarte como un(a) agricultor(a) racializado(a), (entendiendo “racializado(a)” como un término para referirse a las personas o los grupos de personas de comunidades negras, indígenas, latinas, asiáticas, birraciales y multirraciales)
- entendiendo persona de color como persona o grupo de personas de comunidades negras, indígenas, latinas, asiáticas, birraciales y multirraciales.
- Tener al menos tres años de experiencia agrícola y haber trabajado dos años en tu operación y ubicación agrícola actual.
- Estar ubicado(a) en los territorios del caribe: USVI o PR.
Completa y envía esta solicitud antes de la fecha límite. Solo podrás presentar una solicitud.
Pautas
Financiaremos proyectos prometedores que demuestren la capacidad de aumentar la sustentabilidad de las fincas; establecer nuevos mercados para productos y servicios locales; desarrollar nuevos usos para estructuras y equipos existentes; agregar valor a los productos agrícolas existentes a través del procesamiento, empaque o mercadeo; hacer un uso óptimo de los recursos naturales y de la finca; y proyectos culturales/patrimoniales que se centran en preservar y continuar una tradición agraria específica.
Se dará prioridad de financiación a las propuestas con:
- Alto impacto esperado en la viabilidad y sostenibilidad de la finca
- Sólida viabilidad y planificación del proyecto: un plan claro, un presupuesto y un cronograma detallados, y toda la documentación de respaldo incluida.
- Necesidad financiera individual o ubicación en un área económicamente desfavorecida
- Agricultores(as) que no han recibido previamente un subsidio de infraestructura de RAFI
Proceso del subsidio
Las solicitudes elegibles (que cumplen con todos los requisitos) serán revisadas por un panel de aliados y personal de RAFI.
Informaremos a todos los solicitantes sobre las decisiones tomadas por correo electrónico a fines de marzo.
Con los agricultores(as) que sean seleccionados(as), firmaremos un acuerdo de subsidio y un W9 para procesar el pago. Si eres seleccionado(a) puedes esperar recibir el pago entre abril y mayo de 2023, dependiendo de la entrega de estos elementos.
Los pagos se realizarán en dos plazos:
85% por adelantado
15% al completar un informe final (vencimiento antes del 1 de diciembre de 2023)