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Boulder County taking applications for sustainable agriculture program

Up to $305,000 will be awarded; deadline to apply is Jan. 6
Community Submission
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NEWS RELEASE
BOULDER COUNTY
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Boulder County’s Office of Sustainability, Climate Action & Resilience invites farmers, agricultural producers, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations to apply for funding to accelerate and launch environmental sustainability projects that benefit the food and agricultural system of Boulder County.  

This funding opportunity is provided to impact four broad areas within local food and agriculture including: 

  1. On-farm regenerative agriculture and soil health practices; 
  2. Farmer/producer education, conferences, and workshops that focus on sustainable and regenerative agriculture demonstrations; 
  3. On-farm and farmer’s market infrastructure; 
  4. Sustainable local food and crop production. 

Any registered business, official non-profit organization, or government entity can apply for funding at a minimum of $40,000 to a maximum of $150,000 per project or apply to the small project fund at a minimum of $2,000 to a maximum of $5,000.  

To apply, visit boco.org/2021AgFund  

Application materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Jan. 6 for consideration. 

Background

In 2020, the inaugural year of the Sustainable Food and Agricultural Fund Program, Boulder County received 42 applications and a total of $2.5 million dollars in requests. Roughly $305,000 was awarded to seven farms: Aspen Moon Farm, Black Cat Farm, Cottonwood Farms, Cure Organic Farm, McCauley Family Farm, Ollin Farms, and SkyPilot Farm.

The following regenerative agriculture practices are being completed in Boulder County by the 2020 grantees: perennial planting, cover cropping, regenerative grazing, no-till drilling, and smart irrigation. These practices increase soil nutrient levels, create a healthy ecosystem, sequester carbon, and help crops become more resistant in the face of climate change.   

“Healthy soil grows the most nutrient dense and delicious food possible. It also happens to sequester carbon and have a major impact on climate change,” said Marcus McCauley of McCauley Family Farm. “To regenerate the land is a long play. It's a play for the next generation. It can feel risky and not in the budget to purchase cover crop seed or to spread compost. There are a lot of upfront costs and farmers need help with that.”

“There are a lot of people who want to be doing this work,” said Chloe Johnson of SkyPilot Farm. “This grant program fosters that. It’s really beneficial to have programs to open up pathways for more regenerative agriculture everywhere.”

The Sustainable Food and Agricultural Fund is supported by Sustainability Tax revenue. In November 2016, voters approved the Sustainability Tax ballot initiative to allocate a portion of sales and use tax revenue to fund sustainability infrastructure and programs. From the Sustainability Tax, roughly $305,000 was set aside to address the priority needs of local farms and agricultural producers. 

Please see the 2018 Environmental Sustainability Plan for more information about Boulder County’s food and agriculture goals. 

For more information about this program, visit www.boco.org/2021AgFund or contact Tim Broderick at [email protected]. For more information about Boulder County’s sustainability mission and to learn about other programs, please contact Christian Herrmann at [email protected] 

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