Farmers' Market Funding Opportunities

Funding Opportunities

• Vermont Farmers' Marketing Capital Improvement Grant
• Vermont Farmers' Market Mini Grant

Vermont Farmers' Market Capital Improvement Grant

Introduction:  The Vermont Farmers’ Market Capital Improvement Grant (VFMCIP) program was created to fund a minimum of five awards to farmers’ markets in Vermont, to support capital improvements and projects that build community collaborations with farmers’ markets.  The VFMCIP is made available through the collaborative efforts of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM), and Vermont Farmers’ Market Association (VFMA).  The grant is funded by a legislative appropriation as part of the 2010 Capital Bill.  There is $24,746 available for capital grants and there is no restriction on the amount of the request.

Eligible Applicants:

• Farmers’ Markets must meet the Vermont state definition of farmers’ markets: "farmers' market" shall mean an event or series of events at which two or more vendors of agricultural products, as defined in 11 V.S.A. § 991, gather for purposes of offering for sale to the public their agricultural products”
• Farmers’ Markets must have submitted a 2010 Vermont Farmers’ Market Survey to NOFA-VT.  The survey is available by calling 802-434-4122 or online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/GBY6XWD 

Funding Priorities:  The VFMCIP will fund capital improvement and infrastructure projects at farmers’ markets that are not otherwise supported by operating revenues and that build community support of the market.  Examples of eligible activities include construction, electricity, plantings, restroom facilities, and permanent signage.

Grant Reporting:

A written report evaluating how the grant funds impacted the market over the 2011 season are due December 15, 2011.  Reports should include:

• A breakdown of how funds were used and an explanation of any unused funds.
• A written description of how grant activities impacted your market during the 2011 season and expected future impacts. 
• Photos of how grant funds were used at your market (this is required)
• Documentation of any community support leveraged by this grant (e.g. matching funds, in-kind donations, volunteers, etc.).
• All unused funds must be submitted with the final report by 12/15/11.

Questions?

Contact Erin Buckwalter
By email: erin@nofavt.org
By phone: 802-434-4122

Farmers' Market Mini Grant Grant

There are no 2012 Farmers' Market Mini Grants.  

The foundation that has been supporting the mini-grants is not able to continue that support, but we have submitted an application to them for professional development trainings for farmers markets, with the awarding of mini-grants to up to 12 markets in 2013.  This proposal dovetails with funding we recently received from the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NE-SARE) Community Partnership Grant to start a Market Learning Community.  The basic gist of this professional development program are regional roundtables held throughout the state this fall, where farmers’ market managers, board members and organizers can receive professional development trainings in topics that have been identified in the farmers’ market survey including board development, sustainable budgets, promotions and marketing, and food safety and regulations, as well as network with other markets in their region.  We are hopeful that after those roundtables, we will be able to provide mini-grants to up to 12 markets to focus on professional development issues, and those markets, in turn, will host trainings for the other markets in their region, thereby building a vibrant farmers’ market learning community.