CDFA's Office of Farm to Fork is excited to announce the Urban Agriculture Grant Program awarded $11.67 million to 33 projects across California that enhance the viability of urban agriculture.
View the list of CDFA Urban Agriculture Grant Program Award Recipients.
Press Release: CDFA Awards $11.67 Million For Urban Agriculture Projects Across California
Visit the Urban Ag grantee page for resources and information about the grant processes.
Grant Timeline:
- Public Comment Period: June 1 – June 15, 2023
- Request for Application Opens: August 21, 2023
- Request for Application Closes: October 23, 2023 @ 5pm PT
- Application Information Session: August 29, 2023 @ 1pm-2:30pm PT
- Request for Proposal Review Period: November – February 2023
- Award Notification Period: March 2024
- Contract and Grant Agreement Period: March 2024 - May 2024
- Projects Begin: June 2024
The CDFA Urban Agriculture Grant Program awarded $11,670,000 for proposals through this solicitation to fund programs and projects that enhance the viability of urban agriculture.
View the list of CDFA Urban Agriculture Grant Program Award Recipients.
Press Release: CDFA Awards $11.67 Million For Urban Agriculture Projects Across California
View the Request for Applications (RFA) for the full grant program details, including eligibility and funding information for each Track.
Please register for Informational Webinars including webinars hosted by AmpliFund where you will learn how to navigate the web application portal from start to finish (see "AmpliFund Grants Portal Information" dropdown below).
Click the link below to watch the video series for users accessing the AmpliFund applicant portal. This series reviews how to register on the portal, how to review an opportunity, how to complete an application including the budget template and performance plan template and other administrative functionalities of the applicant portal.
AmpliFund Applicant Series – AmpliFund Support (zendesk.com)
Technical Assistance Webinars guiding applicants through every step of completing a grant application in AmpliFund will be held on Zoom at the following times:
- Track 1: Tuesday, September 5th @ 11am PT (60 minute session)
- Track 2: Thursday, September 7th @ 4pm PT (90 minute session)
Both webinars will be recorded and available to applicants here on the website.
Read through a user guide on how to navigate the AmpliFund Application.
EXAMPLES of fundable expenses for Track 1 applicants and Track 2 subawardees are included below.
- Infrastructure:
- Site development, plans and drawings, permits, legal fees, consultant fees
- Season extension such as hoop houses, high tunnels, shade houses, green houses
- Irrigation systems including water connection, installation, improvements, meters, hardware
- Tool storage sheds or containers
- Wash and pack areas including shade structures, drainage pits or other needs
- Community gathering spaces including picnic tables, DG pathways, seating for workshops or other engagement activities, shade structures, outdoor kitchens, demonstration sites
- Aggregation and distribution preparation areas
- Land improvements including soil testing, amendments, remediations, weed management
- Innovations in production equipment such as hydroponic or aquaponic systems
- Equipment:
- Tools - including hand tools, mechanized tools, harvesting tools, weed management tools, etc.
- Post-harvest wash stations, bins, boxes, labels, packaging etc.
- Delivery vehicles
- Farm Stand, Community Supported Agriculture, or other marketing supplies
- Refrigeration units under $5,000 total. For refrigeration needs above $5,000 apply to CDFA’s Refrigeration Grant Program
- Technology and software for sales, marketing, and communications
- Technology, and software for field management
- Technical Assistance and Operations
- Peer to Peer TA providers to mentor, train, and support urban farmers and community-based organizations
- Recognized experienced TA providers to mentor, train, and support urban farmers and community-based organizations
- Business Planning
- Forming Cooperatives
- Marketing and Communications
- Food safety certifications
- Climate smart agriculture certifications, like transition to organic or organic certification
- Evaluation, data collection, quantitative and qualitative reports on impact of project
- Design, Planning and Implementation consultants and contractors for:
- Weed Management
- Irrigation
- Soils
- Site Development
- Navigation of Permits and Legal processes
- Website development
- Workforce Development:
- Staff capacity to operate programming
- Internship stipends or hourly pay
- Professional development opportunities
- Ensuring youth from all backgrounds have access to paid positions developing urban food systems
- Community Engagement and Education:
- Community workshop development and materials
- Staff capacity to operate Community Engagement activities
- Translation services for community engagement at an urban farm
- Open house tours and fieldtrips for residents, students, elderly or other underserved community members.
- Agritourism
Track 1: Systems Builder Community-Based Block Grant Eligibility:
Non-profit organizations, Resource Conservation Districts, public or private colleges and universities, California Native American Tribes, and Tribal Based non-profit organizations with knowledge and experience in regional food systems are eligible to apply.
Individuals, for-profit organizations, local, state, and federal government entities, are not eligible to apply.
Additional notes to help determine eligibility:
- Grant funds will not be awarded to Community Based Organizations that directly benefit or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual.
- Community Based Organizations must distribute and administer no less than two subawards. There is no maximum number of subawards.
- Community-Based Organization may allocate between $5,000 and $60,000 of the award towards urban agriculture programs operated by the applicant.
Track 2: Urban Agriculture Practitioner Grant Eligibility:
Non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, Resource Conservation Districts, Native American Tribes, and Tribal Based non-profit organizations are eligible to apply. Applicants must also be a Qualified Small Business and thus meet the following criteria:
Is one of the following:
- A sole proprietor, independent contractor, 1099 employee, C-corporation, S-corporation, cooperative, limited liability company, partnership, or limited partnership, with an annual gross revenue of less than five million dollars ($5,000,000), but greater than one thousand dollars ($1,000), in the 2022 taxable year.
- A registered nonprofit entity that had an annual gross revenue of less than five million dollars ($5,000,000), but greater than one thousand dollars ($1,000), in the 2022 taxable year.
- An organization that is fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit corporation.
Local, state, and federal government entities, and public or private colleges and universities are not eligible to apply.
Find the answers to all questions asked to CDFA. This will be updated every two weeks with new questions and answers added to the document. For the questions asked and answered live during the info session please watch the Q&A section of the webinar recording below.
Please email CDFA’s Urban Ag Program Lead at caurbanag@cdfa.ca.gov
