The Pine Cone Foundation (PCF) is seeking applications for its Micro-grant program to cultivate a better food future by supporting farming, ranching, fishing, aquaculture, and foodways in California.
Donor Name: Pine Cone Foundation (PCF)
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/08/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
To ensure that the grants are contributing to ending systemic inequity in access to foodways careers, they commit to providing a minimum of 50% of the grants to Black, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous, and other people of color, as well as to female-identifying, non-binary, and trans purveyors.
Funding Information
In 2025, they aim to distribute six to eight grants from $1,000 to $5,000 to eligible applicants; $30,000 will be allotted for this year’s Micro-Grant Program, an increase from $23,500 in 2024.
Eligible Projects
Eligible Projects (include but are not limited to):
- Paying capital costs associated with improving operations and ramping up production. Examples include: irrigation, fencing, refrigeration systems, stainless steel waterers, fishing equipment such as hook and line upgrades, navigation tablets, processing tools or machinery needed to bring products to market, water tanks, tumbler/sorter, hoop house, net bags, floating cages, and greens dryers.
- Replacing infrastructure or equipment that was lost or compromised by natural disasters.
- Launching value-added products or starting new sales channels. Examples include: wholesale, CSA, delivery, or subscription offerings.
- Acquiring new equipment or making improvements to enhance sustainable practices, or launching food access programs. Examples include: soil improvements, beekeeping equipment, creating habitats that sequester carbon or are beneficial to pollinators, and starting a community composting program or increasing food access for low-income and food desert communities.
- They will not fund land purchases, new wells, consultants, administrative overhead, or marketing costs.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant must be 18+ years of age.
- Applicant and the operation must be based in California.
- Non-profit organizations are not eligible at this time.
- Applicant must be the owner of the operation; if there are multiple owners, choose just one owner to represent the operation.
- Applicant’s operation must be an established business for 2+ years and have at least 1 year of sales.
- Farms – no more than 100 acres in agricultural production.
- Ranches – no more than 3,500 acres in grazing production.
- Farms and ranches – land tenure (ownership, a lease, license, or other written agreement) for a reasonable time period will be required for projects that involve on-the-ground, permanent improvements. If tenure is less than 3 years, please be prepared to demonstrate in the application that the tenure is sufficient in relation to the infrastructure improvements being made or services being provided.
- Fisheries and aquaculture – applicant’s operations should be small-scale or considered artisanal. For more information, please click here.
- Fisheries and aquaculture – land tenure (ownership, a lease, license, or other written agreement) for a reasonable time period will be required for projects that involve on-the- ground, permanent improvements. If tenure is less than 3 years, please be prepared to demonstrate in the application that the tenure is sufficient in relation to the infrastructure improvements being made or services being provided.
- Applicant is currently making a portion of their income from their farming, ranching, fishing, and aquaculture operations.
- The annual sales must fall between $15,000 and $500,000.
- The operation must have at least one up-to-date social media profile under the business name to demonstrate its ability to connect with communities and/or promote sales.
- Applicant must have a specific project in mind with costs and labor calculated; project proposals should be geared toward a one-year completion period, January to November 2026, ideally.
- Applicant must plan to continue the business throughout 2026, thus viewing the PCF grant as supplemental, not a lifeline to salvage the operation.
- Applicant must submit headshots and general operation photos with their application. They love to see the people and places for each application to paint a more robust overview of each business.
- Applications requesting funds to hire a consultant (i.e., web developer, marketing firm, financial advisors, or otherwise) are not eligible.
- Incomplete applications, or those not meeting the requirements stated above, will not be reviewed.
For more information, visit PCF.
