The Urban Farm Conservation Mini-Grant program, administered by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), offers up to $5,000 for commercial urban farmers in Minnesota to implement conservation practices.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/30/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The intent of this grant program is to support commercial urban farmers to pay for equipment, materials, and services they may need to manage their farm’s soil, water, and plant and animal life with conservation in mind. Learn more about conservation basics for farmers and landowners from the funder of this grant, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS).
Through this grant, urban farmers will be able to pay for conservation-related efforts including but not limited to:
- Soil improvement
- Soil testing including for nutrients, biology, and contaminants
- Urban farm composting facilities
- Multi-species cover cropping
- Specialty crop rotations
- Reduced tillage practices
- Raised bed systems including soil and compost
- Water management
- Micro irrigation systems
- Mulching with natural materials
- Rain barrels and rainwater management
- Plant and animal health
- Pollinator mixes for plant cover
- Perennial vegetation including field borders
- Conservation-minded weed treatment
- Low tunnel systems
- Urban forestry
Funding Information
Applicants may request between $500 and $5,000. The MDA expects to award approximately $75,000 through this grant program.
Eligibility Criteria
- Entities that 1) grow or raise farm products in an urban setting, and 2) sell those farm products, are eligible. This includes but is not limited to:
- For-profit businesses
- Nonprofit organizations
- Native American tribal communities
- Local government entities
- Schools and universities
- Applicants must be:
- A commercial farm, meaning they sell at least $1,000 of their farm products annually.
- Based in a Minnesota location that meets one of the following criteria:
- Farming within the municipal boundaries of a Minnesota town with a population over 5,000, or
- Farming within the boundaries of federally recognized tribal land and serving tribal community members, regardless of population size.
- Able to provide proof of earning less than $300,000 in agricultural sales per year for the past three calendar years (2021-2023).
- In good standing with the State of Minnesota.
For more information, visit MDA.
