COVID-19 Farmer Support Grant — Round 2

Advocates for Urban Agriculture (AUA), Food:Land:Opportunity (FLO), and Slow Food Chicago (SFC) announced the names of 32 Chicagoland farm businesses awarded grants through the first round of the COVID-19 Farmer Support Grant.

1st Round Grant Awardees: Anonymous Farm #1, Anonymous Farm #2, Bike a Bee, Broadview Farms and Gardens, Bronzeville Community Garden, Catatumbo Cooperative Farm, Cedillo’s Fresh Produce, Chanticlare Farm, Chicago Indoor Garden, Chicago Patchwork Farm, Earnest Earth, Gardeneers, Getting Grown Collective, Global Garden Refugee Training Farm, Good Vibes, Growing Solutions Farm, M’s Organic Sustainable Farm, Middleton Preserves, Mint Creek Farm, Multiple Harvest LLC, Nodding Onion Farm, Orchard Village Farm, OTIS Fresh Farm, Purewater Aquaponics, Run-A-Way Buckers Club, Smooth and Social Roots LLC, Star Farm Chicago, The Urban Canopy, Von Bergen’s Country Market, Wash Tub Farms, Your Bountiful Harvest Famlly Farm

“We are so thankful for receiving this grant,” said Mary Rossow of Chanticlare Farm. “It will definitely make a big difference to our farm this season and in many seasons to come. We are passionate about what we do and now more than ever a truly local food system seems to be the only way to deliver healthy food to local communities.”

Due to a highly successful fundraising campaign throughout the month of April, AUA, FLO & SFC are excited to open a 2nd round of funding through the COVID-19 Farmer Support Grant. Round 2 of the Farmer Support Grant is open to a large network of applicants, including: 1) IL farm businesses whose primary markets are located in Chicagoland communities 2) Community Gardens operating in Chicagoland communities, and 3) Collaborative projects working to create greater access to locally sourced food in Chicagoland communities.

Like the first round, the 2nd round of the COVID-19 Farmer Support Grant will provide direct support to local producers in need of funds for one of the following purposes related to the impact of COVID-19: emergency food response, farm supplies, farmer income support, food safety initiatives, labor support, and market adaptation. 

Farm businesses will be applying for grants of $2,500 and community gardens will be applying for grants of $1,000. Additionally, up to 5 entities can apply for a $10,000 grant to support a collaborative project that aims to create greater access to locally sourced food in Chicagoland communities. Farm businesses applying for a $10,000 grant as part of a collaborative project are also eligible to apply for an individual farm business grant of $2,500.

Farm businesses who received a grant from the first round of funding are eligible to apply for the second round of funding. The application can be accessed on AUA’s website and will close at the end of the day on May 29. Funds will be awarded by June 19th. For more information about the COVID-19 Farmer Support Grant, visit the farmer support grant page. 

COVID-19 Farmer Support Grants are part of a larger grant initiative being led by Advocates for Urban Agriculture and Food:Land:Opportunity. Later in 2020, AUA will be releasing applications for a capacity-building grant program, designed by and for Chicagoland farmers. These $2,500-$20,000 grants will empower Chicagoland farm businesses to expand their ability to produce and distribute locally grown food.