Akron/Summit County Seed Grants for Small Urban Farm Projects

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Please pass word of this Seed Grant program on to small farmers you know in Akron and Summit County. Thanks!

The Crown Point Ecology Center and the Ohio State University Extension (Summit County) are accepting applications for Seed Grants for the Summit Urban Farming Initiative (SUFI). The SUFI was developed to build the growing interest in local foods by encouraging the start up or expansion of small scale farming activities. The SUFI has been conditionally awarded grants from the County of Summit  and the City of Akron Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Programs. The condition depends on final funding awards to the County and City from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development expected early in 2011. The goal of the federal CDBG program is to develop economic opportunity, a suitable living environment and eliminate slum and blight. In a variety of ways, the SUFI addresses all three of these goals.

 The Seed Grant from SUFI will provide matching grants of up to $3,000 to individuals to be used to begin or expand farming activity in Summit County (outside of  Barberton or Cuyahoga Falls) or the City of Akron. Applicants must live and propose to farm in Akron or Summit County and be low and moderate income (having less than 80% of the area median income, a CDBG program requirement). They must also have taken  a training workshop on becoming a new farmer or have an established market presence of less than three years. A special feature of the program will allow up to 50% of the required match to be contributed in the form of donated labor by the new farmers. Funds can be used for land, equipment, seeds, soil enhancements or irrigation. The program hopes to distribute 10 farming grants in 2011.

Interested applicants can request an application from  Jerry Egan at the Crown Point Ecology Center (330-668-8992) or summitfpc@gmail.com or download the application at http://cvcountryside.org/food/SummitFoodPolicyCoalition.php). A business plan must be submitted with the application. Farmers will have to demonstrate that they have legal permission from their community to engage in farming. Deadline for completed applications is January 31, 2011. Grant awards will be announced by March 1, 2011. An informational meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 5:30 pm at the Akron Summit County Public Library Main Branch.


 

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