Agenda Item Name:
TitleSmall-Producer Agriculture Capital Support Pilot GrantEnd
Presenter:
Sean McLendon, Strategic Initiatives Manager
Description:
Program and award criteria for a Small-Producer Agriculture Capital Support Pilot Grant
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approve pilot grant program and direct staff to solicit applications for up to $10,000 in available funding ($5,000 Maximum Award per application)
End
Prior Board Motions:
At the Feb 9, 2021 Regular Board meeting under the Local Food topic, Commissioner Prizzia stated that she would like to see a pilot program for a mini Grants for small/minority farmers to purchase equipment to help establish the Local Food Economy.
Commissioner Prizzia moved to refer to staff the concept to staff to research if there is any possibility to establish now or for next year a mini-grant program. The motion carried 4-0.
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
There is sufficient budget in the Economic Development Division in account 001.17.1770.552.82.53 for FY21. For pilot grant in FY21, $10,000 will be used to award up to two $5,000 grants.
There is no budget in FY22 to continue this program.
End
Background:
On February 9, 2021, Commissioner Prizzia moved to refer the concept to staff to research if there is any possibility to establish now or for next year a mini grant program. The motion carried 4-0.
This document brings back a pilot project criteria and process to fulfill that Board direction in the FY21 budget year. The criteria and process still align to the County Commission’s strategic vision of “Achieving Social and Economic Opportunity for All” and desire to “promote the economic prosperity of all citizens, address economic equity, and diversify the tax base”, per Goal 1 of the Economic Element in the Comprehensive Plan.
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:
1. Assists Alachua County residents.
2. Applicable to Alachua County based small producers (farms, ranches, or other agricultural operations) producing food stuffs for human consumption.
3. Prioritize funding for small producers with annual gross cash income of no more than $75,000.
4. Prioritize black, women, indigenous, and persons-of-color owned agricultural operations
5. 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.
6. Improve the economic viability of these small producers
7. Increase the resiliency of local food production and expand the production of related value added farm products
8. 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 <mailto: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
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.
Outreach
Staff will work with County advisory boards, community representatives, and stakeholders to make the language of who and what the grant is for more plain. In soliciting applications, small producers will be better defined: farmers, growers, bee-keepers, fish-farmers, etc. The outreach will also include examples of permissible but not necessarily limited to equipment and capital investments. Below are some suggested guidance on eligible operations and capital equipment requests. These are examples of and does not meant to limit the eligibility of other operations and capital requests that meet the criteria and goals of this grant.
Scoring Criteria
• Location Priority: Funds are limited to Alachua County residents with small-scale agriculture operations within Alachua County. No points are associated with this priority. Projects may be within municipalities or in unincorporated Alachua County. Applications for funding outside of Alachua County will not be considered.
• Economic Priority: Priority will be given to applications of small producers with annual gross cash incomes between $1,000 and $75,000. Award 10 points for annual gross cash incomes between $1,000 and $75,000. Award 5 points for annual gross cash income between $75,001 and $150,000. Award 2 points for annual gross cash income between $150,001 and $250,000.
• Equity Priority: Priority consideration will be given to applications of small producers that are owned and operated by black, women, indigenous, and or persons-of-color. Award 10 points for small producers that are owned and operated by black, women, indigenous persons, and or persons-of-color.
• Viability Priority: Priority will be given to applications for capital equipment that demonstrates an enhancement, cost avoidance, or savings of the economic productivity of the small producer’s operation. A maximum of 20 points may be awarded for projects that define the specific equipment needed, cost, how it will be utilized, and economic return to the operations. See below for specific questions to be answered.
Three Primary Questions to be Answered under the Viability Priority:
1. How will the grant maximize or contribute to the farm’s overall business plan and grow the farms profitability or avoid costs?
Example farmer response: These funds will help our farm package, sell, and distribute our blueberry crop to local restaurants. We estimate that these funds will allow us to box and wholesale 500 lbs. of organic blue berries.
Example rancher response: We will use this grant to help our ranch secure our herd by repairing and adding fencing, gates, and posts. We are unable to move our cattle because of the inconvenient availability of slaughter facilities for small ranchers. We will need to hold them longer till the market turns around.
2. What are the estimated financial returns?
Example farmer response: 500 lbs. of wholesale organic blue berries is estimated to generate an additional $1,045 per growing season for our farm.
Example rancher response: If we are able to securely hold our 30 head of cattle, we can wait till market conditions improve and send the herd to slaughter at the best time to make a profit. Without these grant funds, we would have to sell our herd at a loss of $15,000 when the market is low. If we can hold them, our ranch estimates to make $15,000 when the market rebounds.
3. What specifically will be purchased with the grant funds?
Example farmer response: The grant funds will be used to purchase a $300 sanitation station, with a $250 three-basin sink plumbed to sanitary sewer, and for $500 boxing, and labeling equipment.
Example rancher response: These grant funds will purchase 3,960 Lf of barbed wire at $330, $500 in replacement fence posts, and $2,000 in metal gating.