The Franklin County Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure grant will open on January 3rd, 2025 and close January 31st, 2025, with grant awards in mid February. Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District is excited to announce another year of the Franklin County Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Grant in partnership with Franklin County Economic Development and Planning! This grant makes $285,000 of federal ARPA funding available to local growers. Each individual organization may apply for up to $15,000 of grant funding or $25,000 for water line installation. This grant seeks to strengthen the local food supply chain and support local farmers and is available to both for-profit and non-profit farms, including community gardens and other types of growing operations. Growing operations 5 acres or less are eligible to apply, with additional consideration given to operations under 1 acre. Eligible uses of this grant include infrastructure that helps local farms and community gardens scale up their production and distribution, with examples including but not limited to high tunnels, water service, cold/dry storage, and market stands.
FSWCD would like to thank Franklin County Board of Commissioners, City of Columbus, Franklin Park Conservatory, OSU Extension, Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Board for their partnership throughout the planning process. This grant was financially assisted by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and builds on and contributes to the ongoing efforts to implement the Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan. Resources for Growers