Apply for Frontera Farmer Foundation Grants
Nonprofit run by Chef Rick Bayless has given farmers about $3 million over 20 years
Precious and Few
Sky shows like this are always worth sharing, and especially in a mostly gloomy January in which these scenes have been few and far between. Enjoy and keep it handy because the clouds will soon be moving back in with more snow in the forecast.
Have a good weekend in spite of it all. Maybe there will at least be enough snow to build a proper snowperson.
Apply Now For Frontera Farmer Foundation Grants
Frontera Farmer Foundation, which has provided about $3 million in grants to local farmers over the past two decades, has opened its application period for its 2023 grants. The deadline to apply is March 13.
The Foundation was created and continues to be run by Chef Rick Bayless, who helped popularize regional Mexican cuisine through his Frontera Restaurant Group. Rick was one of the earliest leaders in farm-to-table dining, sourcing ingredients from local farmers, and he learned early on that a relatively small grant for a key infrastructure need — such as a new truck or tractor, fencing, hoop houses or other out-buildings — can make a huge difference in enabling small local farms to survive and thrive.
The grants are open to farms in the four-state Lake Michigan region (Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana) that sell into the Chicago area and have gross annual income of $600,000 or less.
The following are details you need if you are a farmer interested in apply for a grant. Click the button below to access a Local Food Forum article on the 2022 Foundation grant recipients, followed by a video featuring three farms that have been helped by the Foundation.
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The application period for 2023 Frontera Farmer Foundation grants is officially open!
Ready to apply? Please follow this link. The deadline to apply is March 13th.
About the Frontera Farmer Foundation
The Frontera Farmer Foundation is committed to promoting small, sustainable Midwestern farms serving the Chicago area, by providing them with capital development grants. Small local farms, which often struggle financially, are more likely to promote biodiversity by planting a wide range of produce and operate using organic practices. By their artisanal approach to agriculture, the freshness of their product and the variety of their offerings, these farmers ensure the highest quality food while they add immeasurably to the fabric of their local rural community.
Eligibility requirements
Frontera Farmer Foundation will award grants for capital improvements of up to $12,000 to small and mid-size farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin that sell their food products to customers in the Chicago area at farmers markets and otherwise. We define “small and midsize” to mean family farms with up to $600,000 in annual gross revenue.
Farmers must have been in business for at least three years and must demonstrate how the grant will improve both their farm’s viability and the availability of locally grown food products in the Chicago area. Farms that have been awarded grants will be eligible every other year.
Nonprofit farms & farms with nonprofit parent organizations are not eligible for grants.