Field of Greens Grant Application Guidelines

Fall 2011- Spring 2012 Community Food Advocates Middle Tennessee

Who may qualify for a grant from the Field of Greens Fund? Small farmers and producers located in Middle Tennessee, Northern Alabama and Southern Kentucky who sell farm-raised products to the Middle Tennessee food shed, are practicing organic and/or sustainable farming methods and who seek financial assistance as a result of one or more of the following: y Economic hardship as a result of a natural disaster1; y Economic hardship as a result of illness or injury; y Specific opportunities for growth and/or development; y Any other actual defined need For purposes of the Field of Greens Fund, organic and/or sustainable farms and producers are defined as farming units that/who: y Produce horticultural crops, tree crops, dairy products or animals intended for human consumption; y Integrate goals of environmental stewardship,2 economic profitability, and social and economic equity into their farming system or have been certified organic by the USDA or an agency thereof; y Are recognized as a functioning farm where agricultural production is the primary or substantial means of family income (rural residences that are not functioning farms are not eligible); and y Applicants are personally involved in strategic management and day-to-day operational decisions and provide a substantial amount of on-site labor to operate the farm. When will the Field of Greens Fund accept grant applications? The Field of Greens Fund anticipates an ongoing grant program that will accept applications twice a year in order to provide farmers and producers with funding in the Fall and in the Spring.

Natural disaster includes unusual and/or adverse weather conditions or natural phenomena that have substantially affected farmers by causing severe physical or production, or both, losses. 7 CFR 761.2. 2 For purposes of the Field of Greens Fund, environmental stewardship means that: (1) the farmer/producer actively works to create and sustain cultivated landscapes that are complex, diverse and balanced biological systems using practices that conserve and restore resources, and (2) while being raised, animals are allowed to engage in the natural behaviors that are important to their well-being, and are harvested in ways that minimize stress to the animals and the environment. Guiding Principles of Sustainable Agricultural Production, CEUSA. Some examples of environmental stewardship include but are not limited to: the use of interns and a formal or informal mentorship program to help bring a new generation of young farmers into the fold; the use of environmentally friendly methods of weed and bug control and soil-building, including crop rotation, cover crops, companion planting, use of heirloom plant varietals that are disease and bug resistant, animal manures and green manures, mulching, etc.; and the use of water conservation practices, i.e. mulching, drought-resistant varietals, and drip irrigation.

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Field of Greens Grant Application Guidelines

Fall 2011- Spring 2012 Community Food Advocates Middle Tennessee

Fall 2011 The Field of Greens Fund will accept grant applications for Fall 2011 funding from June 15, 2011 up to and until August 1, 2011. Funding decisions will be announced for Fall 2011 no later than September 1, 2011. Provided all requirements are met, grant funding will be made available no later than September 15, 2011. Spring 2012 The Field of Greens Fund will accept grant applications for Spring 2012 funding from December 1, 2011 up to and until February 1, 2012. Funding decisions will be announced for Spring 2012 funding no later than March 1, 2012 and grants made available no later than March 15, 2012. In the event of damage from a natural disaster impacting one or more qualified farmer or producer, the Field of Greens Fund may provide additional funding rounds. If additional funding rounds become available, information will be made available on the Community Food Advocates website: www.communityfoodadvocates.org. How much can be applied for during each round of funding? For the Fall 2011 round of funding applicants can apply for grants up to $1,000. What kinds of loss will the Field of Greens Fund not cover? y Any loss that is subject to a successful insurance claim, y Any loss and/or need covered by other sources, y Any damages and/or needs not sufficiently documented, and y Requests submitted by applicants who do not qualify as small organic and/or sustainable farms, as defined above. Assessment criteria What to keep in mind The criteria by which the applications will be assessed are as follows: y Farmers and producers employing organic and/or sustainable practices (as defined above) within the covered geographic area, defined as the Middle Tennessee food shed; y Amount of losses excluding insured losses; y The level of damage suffered by the property; y The extent of financial hardship; y The extent of non-financial hardship suffered; y The need of the claimant, y The size of the Fund; y Other factors the Committee recommends and the Advisory Council considers relevant. Application review How will the application be judged? Applications will be reviewed by a Committee of at least three persons appointed by the Advisory Council to the Fund, to include Community Food Advocates Staff, Advisory Council members, community members, and/or area farmers. None of the individuals who serve on the Committee will receive any financial remuneration for their services. Reviewers will not be
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Field of Greens Grant Application Guidelines

Fall 2011- Spring 2012 Community Food Advocates Middle Tennessee

eligible to apply for relief funding. Reviewers are expected to issue fair, nonbiased ratings according to the assessment criteria above, and are required to disclose to Community Food Advocates any potential conflict of interest with any applicant based on familial or financial connection to that applicant. Each reviewer will rate each application according to the above criteria and the total of the ratings will be averaged. Applications will be prioritized by this rating. Grants will be made based upon the amount of funding available. Other considerations Because this fund is of a discretionary nature, the decision of the Committee is final. The guidelines and process for reviewing grant applications will be reviewed after each round of funding and will be adjusted as needed. How to apply? Please fill out the Field of Greens Grant Application and complete and sign a W9 form, which may be found at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf. Send your completed application and signed W9 form to the Field of Greens Advisory Council and Application Review Committee by E-MAIL to application@fieldofgreensfund.org. If you do not have access to email you may submit your completed application and signed W9 to the following by U.S. Mail: Field of Greens Fund Application Review c/o Friends of the Nashville Farmers Market P.O. Box 68316 Nashville, TN 37206 ** PLEASE NOTE Complete applications and a signed W9 must be received no later than AUGUST 1, 2011 in order to be considered for Fall 2011 grant funding. Applications that are incomplete or are missing the complete and signed W9 and are not completed and received by AUGUST 1, 2011 will NOT be considered for funding in this round. ** If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Field of Greens Advisory Council by email at info@fieldofgreensfund.org or you may call Caroline Trost at (615)397-4091. PLEASE DO NOT CALL the Community Food Advocates office.

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Field of Greens Grant Application Guidelines

Fall 2011- Spring 2012 Community Food Advocates Middle Tennessee

About the Field of Greens Fund The Field of Greens Fund is a project of the Community Food Advocates, in collaboration with a coalition of food retailers, farmers, businesses, agencies, and individual food advocates (see page three for a list of Advisory Council members). The Fund was created in June 2010 with the immediate intention of providing disaster relief assistance to organic and/or sustainable farmers and producers located in Middle Tennessee, Northern Alabama and Southern Kentucky who support the Middle Tennessee food shed and suffered damages. Through the first quarter of 2011, the Fund dispersed more than $8,500 in mini-grants to farmers and producers who suffered damages in the flood of May 2010 and tornados in early 2011. The Fund is now a permanent funding source for farmers to strengthen and expand their sustainable farms. A committee of representatives from the coalition organizations will review applications for funding twice a year and at any time disaster relief assistance is needed. The Field of Greens Fund is a permanent program of the Community Food Advocates, which will serve as fiscal agent for this project. Checks will be issued by Community Food Advocates to farmers and producers who are approved for assistance. A generous donation from Whole Foods and FarmAid provided the seed money for the Fund and ongoing support will be provided by donations from individuals and corporations. Community Food Advocates Field of Greens Fund Advisory Council: Kathleen Cotter, The Bloomy Rind Artisan Cheeses; Amy Delvin, Delvin Farms; Jennifer HaganDier, Friends of the Nashville Farmers Market & Community Food Advocates; Kristin Gentry, TNBuyLocal.com; Deb Grant, Franklin Farmers Market Manager; Michael Martin, Whole Foods Market Franklin; Robin Riddell, Slow Food Nashville; Lisa Shively, Local Table Magazine; Becca Stinson, Community Food Advocates; Caroline Trost; Nancy Vienneau, Good Food Matters; Jolie Yockey, Nashville Farmers Market Manager.

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