About SMAACA Grant
Small farmers and ranchers have a grant opportunity through the Board of County Commissioners this summer. The Board is funding a mini-grant to Alachua County based farms and ranches that earn between $1,000 and $250,000 per year. Funding is for capital and equipment expenditures that will positively impact these operation’s income.
The total grant request must not exceed $5,000. Only one application per farm or ranch is permitted.
Total funding available for this pilot mini-grant is $10,000.
To reduce inequity in marginalized communities, this grant will also prioritize small farms and ranches that are owned by black, women, indigenous, and persons-of-color.
Applications must be in the County Manager’s Office by 5PM July 30, 2021.
Applicants will fill out the one-page application and submit it to Alachua County’s Office of Resilience, Climate Change, and Sustainability. Applications may be submitted by email to SMAACA@alachuacounty.us or by mail or in person to:
Attention: SMAACA Grant
Alachua County’s Office of Resilience, Climate Change, and Sustainability
12 SE First Street, 2nd Floor County Manager’s Office
Gainesville, FL 32601
Background
Grant funding is limited to capital equipment needs of Alachua County residents that have small producer agricultural operations wholly contained within Alachua County. For the purposes of the grant, a small producer (farm) is defined as a commercial operation with an established gross cash income of at least $1,000 but no more than $250,000 per year from the regular harvest and sale of crop, livestock, or aquaculture products meant for human consumption. Common examples are grain, honey, fruit, vegetable, dairy, and livestock operations.
To qualify, the request for funding must be for capital equipment that will assist the farm in the production, harvesting, cleaning, value-added processes, food safety, pre or post processing of an Alachua County produced farm product meant for human consumption.
To reduce inequity in marginalized communities, this grant will prioritize small-producer operations that are owned by black, women, indigenous, and persons-of-color.
Funds are limited to one award of up to $5,000 per farm, per Fiscal Year of the County.
The County may issue multiple awards depending upon the availability of funds.
Criteria
Goal: Promote local food system economic resilience and equity for marginalized communities that will:
- Assists Alachua County residents.
- Applicable to Alachua County based small producers (farms, ranches, or other agricultural operations) producing food stuffs for human consumption.
- Prioritize funding for small producers with annual gross cash income of no more than $75,000.
- Prioritize black, women, indigenous, and persons-of-color owned agricultural operations
- Support the immediate acquisition of capital infrastructure and equipment that will enhance the productive capability and financial expansion of the farm. This grant recognizing that small producers may not have adequate cash flow to acquire capital equipment and then wait for reimbursement by the County. This grant offers an immediate infusion of funds at the point of award by the Board of County Commissioners. This grant is not a cost reimbursement grant.
- Improve the economic viability of these small producers
- Increase the resiliency of local food production and expand the production of related value added farm products
- Achieve Board policies related to economic development: increases economic prosperity, economic equity and diverse tax base
Process
General Scope and Methodology
Applicants will fill out the one page application and submit it to Alachua County’s Office of Resilience, Climate Change, and Sustainability. Applications may be submitted by email to SMAACA@alachuacounty.us or by mail or in person to:
Attention: SMAACA Grant
Alachua County’s Office of Resilience, Climate Change, and Sustainability
12 SE First Street, 2nd Floor County Manager’s Office
Gainesville, FL 32601
Questions? Call Sean McLendon at 352-548-3765.
The total grant request must not exceed $5,000.
Application solicitation is from June 2021 through 5PM July 30, 2021.
A panel composed of County Staff will score the applications based on the quality of responses per the scoring criteria. The panel’s scores will be averaged to a final total project score. A maximum score of 40 points is possible. The panel will prioritize awarding the full amount requested, but if multiple, qualified applications are received with the same average score, partial funding may be suggested to the Board of County Commissioners depending upon the availability of County funds.
These highest ranked proposals will be submitted for Board consideration for award at earliest available meeting.
Examples of Eligible Operations and Related Farm Products
Mushrooms from owned land or structure |
Mushrooms for food or medicine |
Cow, Pig, Chicken, Goose, Duck |
Meat |
Aquaculture, land tanks, on-farm ponds, salt water farms |
Cultured fish or shellfish, kelp for human consumption |
Nurseries, greenhouses |
Vegetable, fruit, berry, other food crops or plants |
Honeybees |
Honey and honeycomb |
Examples of Eligible Capital Equipment
Exterior Infrastructure |
Fencing, Buildings, Greenhouse, and Storage Facilities, Signage, Temporary-Portable Covering (Tent Systems), Utility Connections and Expansion |
Interior Capital Equipment |
Point of Sale Systems, Display and Rack Systems, Refrigeration, Freezer, Food Processing Equipment, Sanitization Equipment, Packing/Sorting Equipment, Cooking Equipment |
Exterior Capital Equipment |
Farm Equipment, Irrigation Systems, Lighting, Tractors, Harvesters |
Examples of Not Eligible Operations and Related Products
Horse breeding that is land-based with pasture and hay production |
Sale of horses |
Turf, nurseries, greenhouse, trees |
Ornamental landscape products, Christmas trees |
Composting company (not part of a farming operation) |
Production and sale of compost, vermicompost, worms |
Landscaping company |
Installation or maintenance of plants |
Horse stable |
Training, boarding, lessons |
Suppliers of animals or organisms to pet stores or pet owners |
Ornamental fish, sea animals, coral |
Fisheries |
Wild-caught, marine or fresh water |
Woodlot (not part of a farming operation) |
Biochar, pulpwood, firewood |
Scoring Criteria
Award & Reporting
To expedite the disbursement of funds, grant awards are distributed via purchase orders.
Awardees must expend their funds for authorized uses with 120 days of receipt and must agree to send receipts of purchase and pictures of the equipment/capital investment in place and in operation.