Greener Fields TogetherTM, the sustainability and local produce initiative created by PRO*ACT, the produce supply-chain management company, is proud to announce Cultivating Change, a grant program for local farms. Through Cultivating Change, local growers are eligible to apply for grants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000. The grants will be funded on an annual basis to qualifying growers through an online voting platform and industry review panel.
Cultivating Change grants are available to support local farmer efforts to improve their businesses in four categories:
- Certifications – Food safety audits, Organic, Non-GMO Project, Biodynamic, Fair Trade, etc.
- Infrastructure – Equipment and facility upgrades, logistics, Reusable Plastic Containers (RPCs), etc.
- Capacity Building – Food safety/GAP improvements, continuing education, etc.
- Marketing/Communications – Marketing materials/support, website and social media platform development, label and packaging upgrades, etc.
“Greener Fields Together was developed to bring about continuous, measurable sustainability improvements in the fresh produce supply chain and to do so in part by providing strong support for local farms,” says Max Yeater, president of PRO*ACT. “Cultivating Change is a natural extension of that. Everyone wants high-quality, local produce but for small farms to meet the growing demand requires significant resources and investment. These grants are meant to help.
Farmers interested in applying for a Cultivating Change grant can do so between Sept. 1, 2015 and Oct. 31, 2015, at http://www.greenerfieldstogether.com/cultivating-change. There, applicants can customize their profile page with photos and stories from their farms for online sharing as part of the online voting and peer review process. For more information and complete rules, visit www.cultivatingchange.org/rules.
The industry review panel includes:
- Nova Sayers | NSF | Business Development – Global Food Division
- Johnna Hepner | PMA | Director Food Safety & Technology
- James Barham, Ph.D | USDA Rural Development | Agricultural Economist Jim Ebersold CSW CSS | Ted’s Montana Grill
- JoAnne Berkenkamp | Tomorrow’s Table LLC | President
