Columbus Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant

FSWCD has secured funding from Columbus City Councilmember Wyche's office to restart the Urban Ag Grant! The application will be available HERE when the application window opens on September 1st. Applications will be accepted until September 15th, with awards anticipated on September 29th. 

In 2025 Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District administered the Franklin County Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Grant in partnership with Franklin County Economic Development and Planning for the second year in a row! This grant made $285,000 of federal ARPA funding available to local growers. The goal of this grant is to strengthen the local food supply chain and support both for-profit and non-profit farms, including community gardens and other types of growing operations. 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. 

Please check out our Agriculture Resources page for additional resources! A big thank you to Franklin County Board of Commissioners, Franklin County Economic Development and Planning, the City-County Local Food Board, OSU Extension, Columbus Public Health, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Osteopathic Heritage Foundation for their essential support throughout the first two years of this grant program. 

Grant resources and info can be accessed by clicking the links below!
Grant Eligibility 2025
Grant Description 2025
Budget Template 2025
Application Questions 2025
Urban Ag Grant FAQs 2025
Scoring and ranking of applications 2025

Resources for Growers