Mini-grants for small agriculture projects made to enhance food security

More than $1.5 million has been invested in small-scale agriculture grants to enhance community food security in a first round of federal mini-grants made last year and this is being increased this year to $2 million in for new round of grants to be funded, according to state officials.

Another $2 million in grants will be made next year.

The program is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Micro-Grants for Food Security Program. The state Division of Agriculture administers the program in Alaska and works with an independent review committee to select the applications to receive funding.

“Programs like this help Alaskans improve both the quantity and quality of locally grown food in food insecure communities,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said. “Small-scale agricultural projects are a key part of increasing the state’s food security.”

The grants are part of the 2018 Farm Bill that created a special program for Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. Territories to support food security. More than 7,000 applications were received for this round of micro-grants in Alaska, with 441 individuals approved for funding through the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service. Another 59 applications from organizations are being reviewed.

This year the state division focused funding on projects critical for food security with a priority on Alaska’s rural supply chain:

• 100-plus grants totaling more than $570,000 were awarded for greenhouse projects

• 150-plus grants totaling over $358,000 were awarded for gardening proposals

• Almost 100 grants totaling over $570,000 were awarded for proposals related to subsistence

• 60-plus grants totaling $145,000 were awarded for fencing projects

Successful applicants are being notified of their funding status by e-mail this week. Information for future grant opportunities will be available through the agriculture division’s grants website.

In another mini-grant program, funding will be awarded to Alaskan projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and support growers through marketing, education, and research. Specialty crops, include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops. These grants are through the USDA’s 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Six projects in the State will receive a total of $255,000.

As a part of this the Division of Agriculture will partner with the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District to administer an agriculture education program for secondary school students. Also, a demonstration farm planned in the Nenana-Totchaket Agricultural Project Area will train students in specialty crop farming.

Other projects funded focus on research and technical assistance. The Division of Agriculture will use a portion of the funding to increase consumer awareness, purchasing, and consumption of Alaska’s specialty crops via marketing that will target new consumers.

“The projects awarded under the program will strongly benefit Alaska’s agricultural industry,” said Mia Kirk, Interim Director at the Alaska Division of Agriculture. “We’re excited these grants support the development of projects in Alaska focused on education and new evaluation techniques – as well as cultivation, preservation, conservation planning, and market access.”

“USDA applauds Alaska’s continued commitment to supporting our nation’s producers of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program,” said Jenny Lester Moffitt, an official in the federal agency.

“The projects funded will foster innovative research and new market opportunities within the specialty crop sector, while furthering USDA’s goals of creating a more fair and equitable food system and supporting local and regional producers,” she said.

The funding to Alaska is part of a total of $72.9 million in non-competitive specialty crop funding awarded to 55 states, territories and the District of Columbia. Since 2006, the USDA has invested more than $953 million through the program to fund 11,331 projects that have increased the long-term successes of producers and broadened the market for specialty crops in the U.S. and abroad.