Hello Farm to Fork Friends,
We have lots of grant opportunities posted this month, so if you’re looking for a way to fund your farm to fork dreams (especially if your dream is a school garden), scroll down to the end to check those out.
What to Harvest This Month
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with something sweet and pink—like a smoothie featuring frozen Utah cherries! That’s right, thanks to preservation techniques like drying and freezing, Utah’s state fruit can be enjoyed all year round. If a smoothie seems too cold right now, try our recipe for Cherry Blossom Yogurt Bread from Chef Brenda.
Get Involved!
Help Advocate for the Utah Farm to Fork Bill
HB 256 will create the first ever Utah Farm to School Commission, made up of representatives from Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Utah State Board of Education, and Utah Department of Health. This will help make our farm to fork initiatives more visible, prevalent, and cohesive across the state. The bill also creates a state farm to school grant program! Stay tuned for a call to action coming later this month with specific ways you can support and advocate for the bill.
Webinars & Trainings
Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Health Symposium: February 16-17, 10:00 am-1:30 pm MT
This conference will orient researchers and public health practitioners to Indigenous food sovereignty, its value in facilitating health in Indigenous communities, and ways to connect food sovereignty initiatives with health data in your communities! Registration is free. Learn more and register here.
Improving Equity Accessible Garden Signage
Signs in youth gardens serve many purposes. However, have you considered how the signage in a garden can be accessible to some, but effectively invisible to others? This resource from KidsGardening explores some of the challenges your garden visitors might have in accessing the information on your signs, as well as ways to create signs that effectively communicate their message to as many garden visitors as possible.
Job Opportunities Gardens and Sustainability Manager, EATS, Park City
EATS is seeking a full time Gardens and Sustainability Manager. Reporting to the Program Manager and the Executive Director, the Gardens and Sustainability Manager will be responsible for maintaining EATS supported gardens, directing relevant sustainability efforts, and facilitating garden education. Learn more and apply here.
Compost Coordinator, EATS, Park City
EATS is also seeking a part-time Compost Coordinator. The EATS Compost Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing composting programs at Park City School District elementary schools during the 2021-2022 school year.
The Compost Coordinator will be responsible for helping students sort their lunch waste from 10:30 am-12:30 pm Monday through Friday. Learn more and apply here.
Farmer, Hells Backbone Grill & Farm, Boulder
Hell's Backbone Grill & Farm, approaching its 23rd season, is a farm-to-table restaurant in Southern Utah. A farmer for Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm participates in all aspects of farm work in order to provide our restaurant with sustainable, high quality food. Our 6.5 acre farm utilizes organic, “no harm” practices to grow vegetables, fruit, herbs, flowers and eggs. This is a full-time, seasonal position (April-October/November) that pays $15-$18 per hour. Learn more and apply here.
Funding Opportunities
GroMoreGood Grassroots Grant
The GroMoreGood Grassroots Grant, brought to you by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation and KidsGardening, is designed to bring the life-enhancing benefits of gardens to communities across the United States. In 2022, 150 programs will be awarded $500 to start or expand their youth garden or greenspace. Any nonprofit organization, school district, university, government entity, or tax-exempt organization like religious organizations and Tribal governments in the United States and US Territories serving at least 15 youth is eligible to apply. The deadline for application submission is Friday, February 4, 2022, at 11:59 pm PST. Learn more and apply here.
Harvest of the Season Microgrants
Harvest of the Season Microgrants are here! Supported by a Specialty Crop Block Grant, these microgrants are intended to remove financial barriers to participating in Harvest of the Season. There are two different microgrants available, and schools, childcare centers, and non-profit organizations that work with children are all welcome to apply. Applications for both grants will be reviewed and awarded on a rolling basis. Successful applicants will have up to one year to spend the money after awards are made.
Garden Support Grant
Up to 10 garden grants will be awarded. The grant includes an AeroGarden hydroponic unit, 16 seed packets, a printed garden guide, and $1000 to cover costs directly associated with starting and maintaining a garden. Apply for the garden grant here.
Local Food Taste Test Grant
Up to 20 grants of $500 each will be awarded. Grant funds may be used to purchase Harvest of the Season items from a Utah farmer or rancher, supplies and equipment for conducting the taste test (including but not limited to napkins, handwipes, portion cups, plates/bowls, hot plates, knives, cutting boards), and cover staff time for procuring and preparing food and holding the taste test. Apply for the taste test grant here.
Food and Farm Communications Fund Core Grants
The Core Grants Program awards strategic communications and narrative change support to grassroots organizations and networks working to advance systemic and cultural change across our food and farm systems. Core Grants range from $20,000-$30,000 and typically span a 12-month period. To apply, organizations should review the purpose, priorities, and criteria of the program and submit a Letter of Interest by Friday, February 18. After LOIs have been reviewed, selected organizations will be invited to submit a full proposal. Grant decision-making is led by a participatory team of movement leaders, social change communications experts, and funder advisors.
Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grants
The Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant program provides a $3,000 monetary grant to support a new or existing edible educational garden located at either a K–12 school or a non-profit organization (501(c)(3) in the US/Registered Charity in Canada that serves children in the K-12 grade range. The application will open on February 14 and closes March 11, 2022. Learn more and apply here.
Utah Outdoor Classroom Grant
The Utah Outdoor Classroom Grant awards up to $10,000 to community-based non-profit organizations or publicly funded K-12 schools to help get Utah’s K-12 students outside— to learn, gain a skill, and enjoy the outdoors. School gardens are the ultimate outdoor classroom! Learn more and apply here. The deadline to apply is March 18, 2022, at 5 p.m.
Be sure to share your upcoming events, grant opportunities, and jobs with us so that we can share them here!
