2024 Farm & Ranch Disaster Response Mini-Grants
The Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District is offering mini-grants of up to $2,000 to assist local producers who were impacted by the January 2024 ice storm. Eligible producers should operate farm or ranch businesses as a primary or significant household income source; be located in the District geographic boundary; and grow or raise food products primarily for local markets. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, “food products” includes vegetables, fruits, berries, meat, dairy, eggs, beans, grains, and nursery and seed production of edible plants.
Funding requests will be accepted until Thursday, April 4th at 5 PM. Click here to download guidelines and application template. Note: This form is provided for applicants to prepare answers that will be submitted through our online grant management system, Foundant. Applicants will need to create an account at https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=uwswcd prior to submitting an application.
Please note the character limits on each question. Here is a reference on Character Limits into Estimated Word and Page Counts.
Eligible uses of grant funds include:
- Repairing or replacing damaged infrastructure or equipment that is directly related to the operation of the farm or ranch (e.g. hoophouses, irrigation infrastructure, livestock fencing, etc.)
- Removing trees, limbs and debris that impact farm or ranch business operation
- Mitigating loss of crops or crop damage (e.g. replacing lost plants)
- Other storm-related damages or impacts, specifically associated with operating a farm or ranch business
- Reimbursement for already completed projects: If you are requesting funds for a project already completed, you will be required to upload a photo of the completed project and a dated receipt/s to confirm that the project was completed after the ice storm and prior to this application.
Ineligible uses of grant funds include:
- Damages to housing (please contact Red Cross for resources related to housing)
- Compensation for lost wages or income
- Home gardens or “hobby” farms / ranches
We have a total pool of $38,000 for this funding opportunity and anticipate being able to make approximately 15-20 grant awards. Grant funds will be provided as a lump sum. Recipients will be required to complete a report documenting the use of funds and project completion within 60 days.
Requests will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Documented damage to farm or ranch business operations directly attributable to the January 2024 ice storm.
- Clear and specific description of how grant funds will be used to assist with storm damage recovery.
- Project is achievable with the funds requested and can be completed within 90 days.
If the District receives requests for more funding than is available, we will prioritize distributing funds to producers in multiple District zones, and prioritize funding for producers that meet USDA criteria for historically underserved producers. Click here for our Non-Discrimination Policy.
To apply for a grant, register at: https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=uwswcd and use the application template included above to prepare responses. Applications must be submitted via the online portal by 5 PM on Thursday, April 4th. With questions, contact Jared Pruch at [email protected].