With support from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, ASAN is offering mini-grants to farmers and farmers markets in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount, and Walker Counties, to cover costs associated with adapting to COVID-19.

These mini-grants — averaging $500 or less — can cover the cost of safety and accessibility upgrades, as well as any adaptive measures that enable farmers and farmers markets to meet (or continue to meet) community food needs during this time.

Please read the full FAQ and instructions below, before applying.

 

HOW DO I APPLY?

 

WHAT CAN THE FUNDS BE USED FOR?
These mini-grants cover the cost of safety and accessibility upgrades, as well as any adaptive measures that enable farmers and farmers markets to meet (or continue to meet) community food needs during this time.

These costs may include: personal protective equipment or PPEs (e.g. masks, gloves), cleaning supplies (e.g. soap, hand sanitizer), software upgrades (e.g. to enable online sales), signage, packaging supplies (e.g. for prepacked deliveries), additional fuel costs (e.g. home delivery), additional wages (for additional time spent, extra hired help, hazard pay), documented loss of income due to lost sales, and other costs.  (Please do not apply for funds to cover any costs that have already been covered by other emergency aid programs, including the CARES Act.)

Your own farm/market’s needs may differ from what’s in the list above – so share with us what support you need, and why, and our review panel will consider it.  The big-picture goal here is not to split hairs but to provide needed support to our critical local farms and farmers markets.

Funds can cover past costs incurred on or after March 1, 2020, as well as anticipated costs through June 30, 2020.  Costs must be directly associated with COVID-19 – these funds will not pay for unrelated farm/market upgrades.

Your acceptance of any awarded funds signifies your understanding and agreement to these requirements.

HOW MUCH MONEY IS AWARDED?
Successful mini-grants will be awarded, on average, $500 or less.  In exceptional cases we may be willing to provide more than $600 in support.

WHO CAN APPLY?
Family farmers and farmers markets who have been impacted by COVID-19 and have suffered hardship as a result are eligible to apply. Funds are reserved for farms and markets that can demonstrate the highest need and highest community impact. Only one grant is allowed per farm operation/farmers market.

Family farms are defined as those where a substantial portion of family income comes from agricultural production and the family is actively engaged in day-to-day farm management and labor. A farmers market is defined as a retail marketplace (typically but not exclusively a physical space) where multiple farmers gather to sell products that they produce directly to consumers.

Farmers may apply if they:

  • Are located in Jefferson, Walker, Blount, St. Clair, or Shelby County, OR
  • Raise products that feed people/communities in those counties (ie attend farmers markets in those counties, have CSA members in those counties, etc.)

Farmers markets may apply if they:

  • Are located in Jefferson, Walker, Blount, St. Clair, or Shelby County, AL

WHEN WILL APPLICATIONS BE REVIEWED?
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed and approved on a weekly basis starting the week of 6/15.  Weekly review will continue until all funds are exhausted, no later than 7/10.  Awardees will be notified and checks will be issued within 5 business days of each review.

HOW WILL APPLICATIONS BE REVIEWED?
The following criteria are not requirements for eligibility (see section above, for that), only indications of some factors considered by the review panel.

For farmer applicants, preference will be given to those:

  • who identify as: Black, Indigenous, or other people of color; nonbinary and/or LGBTQ+ people; and/or women
  • who rely more heavily on farm income for livelihood
  • whose products primarily feed communities in Jefferson, Walker, Blount, St. Clair, and Shelby counties

For farmers market applicants, preference will be given to those:

  • who have strong ties to underserved communities
  • who are “producer-only” (i.e. allow only vendors who sell produce/farm products they themselves have grown)

CONFIDENTIALITY
ASAN will only use the information in this application for processing applications and in the required reporting to the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. We will not share your information with any other individuals or organizations unless required by law.

REPORTING
All mini-grant recipients will be expected to submit a very brief report with ASAN, no later than July 17.  Your acceptance of any awarded funds signifies your understanding and agreement to these requirements.

MADE POSSIBLE BY:
We are very grateful to the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham for providing the funds to make these mini-grants possible, and more broadly for their leadership in quickly adapting to support Greater Birmingham’s communities during COVID-19.  Learn more at https://www.cfbham.org.