Missouri is offering $500,000 in grants for urban farmers — if they can figure out how to get it
Nealy said he hopes more money can go toward educational projects and urban farming overall, especially for people of color in Kansas City.
By Meg Cunningham
Kansas City Beacon
July 19, 2023
Excerpt:
Darian and Nicolette Davis have looked at state grants and other competitive resources in the past, but don’t have confidence in their grant-writing skills. And even finding someone to help them write grants is difficult with a small budget, Darian said.
“The key missing part that we need is the initial money to get the money,” he said. “That’s the missing piece, because I can reach out to grant writers that have a proven success record, but I’ll have them say, ‘Yes, it’s gonna cost this much.’ Well, I don’t have that much.”
Accessing grant money can be tricky for farmers, according to Ami Freeberg at Cultivate KC, one of Kansas City’s larger urban farming organizations. The reimbursement structure — plus the application and payout timelines — don’t exactly line up with peak growing season, which can make it complicated to apply for the grant and comply with the requirements.
“Pretty much all state and federal grants, and a lot of local government grants, are reimbursable, which means you have to spend the money before you get back,” Freeberg said.
That’s not a big deal for larger farming businesses like Cultivate Kansas City, Freeberg said. But it’s a challenge for smaller agricultural enterprises.
