top of page

Delta Grows

GRANT PURPOSE

 

The Grant Program, administered by the Delta Agriculture Research & Sustainability District, will provide funding to individuals and small businesses to support food growing efforts throughout the district. As a poor, rural area access to healthy food is a major obstacle for many residents in the region. By providing micro-grants financing tower gardens to individuals, we can reduce the access gap and provide needed healthy food to families and neighborhoods by providing an easy-to-use system that can be used indoor or outdoor. By providing these grants to small businesses, we can provide needed funding to expand existing operations to increase the available food in the region. The community garden awarded through this program will serve as a key signal to the region that food access and healthy communities is a need for the region as a whole and will take the entire community to improve.

 

All awards will be tracked for efficacy and impact so support a larger request from the USDA, foundations and State of Louisiana to expand the program. 

​

AWARD TYPES

​

  • Individual  $1,000:   Tower Garden or backyard

 

  • Small Business $2,500:  Farm supplies, water, building, fencing, tools, soil, seeds, composting, equipment, Hydroponics 

 

  • Community Towers $7,000: Tower Community Garden 121

How to Apply  

Applications are now closed

​​

  • An online application form can be found at www.darsd.org You will need to complete all the required fields and click “Submit”. If you need assistance with applying contact lbering@darsd.org

  • 2.  Is there an application fee? There is no fee to apply for this grant.

  • 3.  How do I know that my application was received? You will receive a confirmation email within 3-5 business days.

  • 4.  What happens after I apply? After you apply, you will receive an email confirmation. Then, your application will be scored and ranked.

  • 5. How do I know if I was awarded? You will be contacted by our offices regarding your grant with further instructions. 

  • What should I include in my Project Description and Measurables? Tell the reviewer what you hope to accomplish through the DARSD and how you will do it. Describe these items: a coherent plan for your project, an estimate of how much food will be pro- duced over 12 months, how your project will help with food insecurity, how many beneficiaries your project will feed/support (direct and indirect), a description of the project area (backyard, acres, farm plot, etc.), how you will complete your project within 1 year and what that timeline looks like, how you will measure and keep track of the amount of food you produce.

  • When will reports be due to DARSD? Reports will be needed only from awarded applicants. Report due dates are due six (6) months after contract execution 

  • I submitted multiple applications – Can I request for only one of them to be reviewed? No. DARSD will only review the latest submission per household address.

                          USE OF FUNDS

  • What if I have “left over” funds from a purchase? (Businesses/Organizations)b In the event that you purchase an item at a cheaper price than the amount awarded for the item – you can use the extra funds to re-invest strictly toward other items that you apply for. All receipts in your report should reflect the items/categories that you select in your application.

  • What if the item I want to purchase costs more than the fixed amount that is awarded? In the event that this happens, please search for alternatives or pay for the difference out-of- pocket. The fixed amount award cannot be changed.

  • Can I incur expenses before award of the grant? No. There is no guarantee that your application will be awarded. Any expenses incurred prior to award will not be reimbursed. 

                                  ADDRESSES & BENEFICIARIES

 

 

  • What is a direct beneficiary? Direct beneficiaries are people within your household (under one roof) who will benefit from the project.

  • What is an indirect beneficiary? Indirect beneficiaries are people you will be sharing, selling, or donating food to who are outside of your personal household, business, or organization.

  • Should I use my mailing or my physical address on the application? You will need to input a project location address AND a mailing address. 

  • Who should I put as the “Primary Applicant” on my application? Enter the name of the primary person, per single household address, who will primarily oversee the project, the project activities, project purchasing, and project reporting.

  •  What is considered an eligible entity? The term “eligible entity” means an entity located in one of the eligible parishes. Eligible entities are: an individual, a non-profit organization engaged in increasing food security (ex: food bank, food pantry, religious organization), small business, or a local government 

  • What is the application period? Applications are open from February 1, 2024 to February 29, 2024. All applications must be received by Thursday, February 29, 2024.

  • Is insurance required? Insurance is not required for Individuals in this round of microgrants. Insurance will be needed for organizations only.

  • What are things that I can get disqualified for? Your email is incorrect or comes back as “undeliverable”.

  • The total amount of funds requested does not match your award selections. The total amount of funds requested exceeds $2,500.00 (for businesses or organizations)

  • The only address provided is a PO. Box address – where there was no mention of a project/residence location (via zip code and TMK) in the project description or address section.

  • 17. Are non-profit organizations eligible to apply? Yes

  • Does an applicant need to be a US Citizen? yes. The requirement is that the applicant is over the age of 18 and a resident of the four parishes located in DARSD  (Madison, Concordia, East Carrol, Tensa)

                                  PROJECT ESTIMATIONS

 

 

  • If the food to be produced cannot be harvested or consumed within the time frame of the project, is it acceptable to estimate the amount of food the project intends to produce? Yes. Tree crops are not expected to be producing a harvest for 5 – 8 years. An estimate of how much food can be harvested in a year will be reported. The same for other crops that may not be ready to harvest before the report is due.

  • What is the time frame for estimating “food produced as a result of this project”? The 12-month term of the project is the time frame in which you will need to estimate the amount of food produced as a result of the project.

    PROJECT TYPES – BUSINESSES/ORGANIZATIONS ONLY

​

  • What if the item I want to purchase is not included in the listing A-K? The fixed-amount awards are not meant to cover other than what is shown for small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations in food-insecure communities. If the supplies you need fall under a project-type category, please select the most applicable item. Utilize the project description and measurable area to further explain your selections. EX: You need a tiller, but “tiller” is not listed. SOLUTION – select “Land Clearing” under section D and explain how you will use the tiller to achieve the goal of your project in your project description.

  • Would a Biogas Methane Digester be an acceptable composting system for my project? Yes – keep in mind the project is to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food and should report the actual and/or estimated amount of food to be produced from the project. Your purchase should not reflect solely as a “commercial gain”.

  • Can I change the budget for the project types that I select? No. Each item that you can apply for has a fixed amount for each award. However, please refer to question #19 regarding the use of “leftover” funds.

bottom of page