Funds Available to Encourage Urban Agriculture

St. Paul, MN: Businesses, schools, nonprofits, local governments, and tribal entities seeking to promote urban youth agricultural education and urban agricultural community development can apply for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Urban Agriculture Grant.

The MDA will award up to $551,000 to eligible applicants serving communities within cities with a population over 5,000 or located within the boundaries of a federally recognized tribal land, regardless of population size. The MDA expects to award 50% of the available funds to projects located in or serving underserved communities.

Applicants may request a maximum of $50,000 per project, and up to 100% of the total project cost may be covered by the grant. Up to half of the award may be requested as an advance.

Eligible project expenses include equipment purchases and physical improvements, and dedicated staff/contractor time.

Proposals must be submitted prior to Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 4 p.m. Visit the AGRI Urban Grants web page for more information, including detailed information about how to apply.

In previous rounds of this highly competitive grant program, funds have gone to stimulate urban agriculture across Minnesota. Summaries of past projects are listed on the webpage.

Funding for this program is made available through the AGRI Program, which administers grants to farmers, agribusinesses, schools, and more throughout the state of Minnesota. The AGRI Program exists to advance Minnesota’s agricultural and renewable energy sectors.