Center for an Agricultural Economy(CAE) Announces COVID-19 Response Micro-Grants for Farmers: Market Development & Sales Innovation

COVID-19 Response Micro-Grants for Farmers: Market Development & Sales Innovation

The Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE) has been working to procure funding for a micro-grants program so that farmers can make adaptations to respond to the current crisis to strengthen our local food system. We have received a second round of funding and are pleased to reopen our micro-grant application on a rolling basis found HERE!

Micro-Grant Details:

Grants of $500 maximum per farm business are available for projects that demonstrate sales and marketing innovation in response to challenges presented by COVID-19 disruptions.

Additional funding of up to $500 will be available to sales and marketing projects that significantly benefit other farm businesses as well as the applying farm. (Examples might include CSAs, farm stores, and e-commerce platforms that establish or increase sales for multiple farms, not just the farm managing the retail outlet.)

Eligibility Criteria:

Program is only for farms producing food and those processing value-added food products on their farms.

At least one household member must get primary income from farming.

Costs must be incurred during the COVID-19 Crisis (currently defined as March 15, 2020  - August 30, 2020)

Farm can be located anywhere in Vermont at this time!

Award Criteria:

Applicants must respond in full to application questions with evidence of a clear plan for sales innovation or market development.

Micro-Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis.

How to Apply: 

Online through this Google Form

Thank you for your interest in this grant. If you have any questions please email us:

Silene DeCiucies, silene@hardwickagriculture.org

Daniel Keeney, daniel@hardwickagriculture.org

Lylee Rauch-Kacenski, lylee@hardwickagriculture.org