​Together we are growing the next generation of farmers who are in turn growing a stronger food system. Here is a direct way to invest in viable farms and hunger relief efforts in Montgomery County. 

It starts with local farms...

​Land access is key to a new or expanding enterprise – that is why MCA started our Land Link program in 2011 to connect small scale producers to local landowners offering long term leases. 500+ matched acres later we are celebrating the many successful new farms that sprang from these partnerships. Yet connecting new farmers with land is only part of what makes a viable farm and a successful harvest. 
Infrastructure is also key – and a hurdle to some farms getting started. Water can be trucked in, we’ve made it easier for farmers to share equipment on our Producers Listserve, but fencing remains a real barrier (sorry) to farms having viable harvests. Just ask Farm at Our House of Brookeville who lost a field of strawberries to deer 4 seasons in a row until securing cost share for fencing - fencing is a required investment for a farm in Montgomery County. An investment that will bear fruit - literally. 

and unprecedented need...

Food insecurity is up 50% both in Montgomery County and nationally during the pandemic.   The pandemic, inflation and supply chain woes have made it very difficult for food banks to source the fresh produce that supplements the typical non-perishable offerings for food bank clients. The MoCo Food Bank reported that in June of 2020 86% of local food banks were unable to provide fresh produce to their clients. This is even more true of “culturally appropriate” food, the farm products that are familiar to the large immigrant populations in our diverse county. Examples include Asian greens, heirloom African tubers and grains that are not widely available in our area. With people of color twice as likely to experience food insecurity, sourcing these products is an imperative. 

with a homegrown solution...

Dependable sources of locally grown food are a cost-effective solution for local food banks. More and more land seekers are applying to Land Link intending to dedicate part or all of their harvest to local hunger relief efforts. Many of these farmers have long experience in growing culturally appropriate foods but lack the capital for large upfront investment in farm infrastructure. Investment in fencing will free up their funds for land leases and other needed inputs to get growing. 

You can help ramp up our efforts to grow more farms and feed more residents in MoCo. Help us match the County's seed funding today. 
Background and FAQ:
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  •  How Will This Grant Work? 
MCA has secured funding from Montgomery County's Health and Human Services Department that will be be matched (or exceeded!) by local farm supporters like you. When the match is achieved we will open a grant application process for  farmers (and landowner partners) to apply for cost share for fencing projects - inclusive of deer fencing for table crops and some livestock fencing. The grant will stipulate the number of seasons the fencing location must be growing for a local food distribution nonprofit and what amount of produce donated meets the qualifications. We are gathering a committee of local farm experts from our board and elsewhere and will be tapping their expertise as we build a fair grant process that sends the maximum amount of food to hunger relief organizations - with a priority placed on those culturally appropriate crops that are hardest and most expensive to source.

  • I'd like to apply for the grant for my farm/farmland
Great! At this stage we are gathering matching funds and creating the grant application. If you want to be sure you get more information as soon as it is available just email us - info@mocoalliance.org to be sure we can contact you. Please note that we will consider applications from farmers and from leasing farmer/landowner partners. 

  • What are some other similar grant opportunities for farms?
Manna Food Bank, the County DHHS, Office of Ag and Food Council partnered on a Farm to Food Bank Program that provided infrastructure improvements to 20+ existing table and livestock operations in the county in 2020 and 2021 and the results of those investments are yielding great local harvests for food bank clients. The county Office of Ag also has a cost share program that provides for fencing, wells and other infrastructure but the need for this program often outstrips the funding.
While a much smaller program than either the farm to food bank program or the Office of Ag cost share program, MCA's Good Fences Grant seeks to not only grow more food but grow more farms at the same time, prioritizing new or fledgling farms where basic infrastructure investments could be the spark to get a vibrant new farm off the ground. Through the last decade of matching farmers and landowners fencing has proved to be a big hurdle to getting a new farm lease started - many of these farmers being people of color seeking to intentionally grow the culturally appropriate foods missing from food banks.  This grant program is meant to fill this gap with a win-win-win solution - with your help!

  • I'm a farm  or other business that wants to donate to food banks - how do I do that?
Fantastic! Check out Community Food Rescue - a project of Manna Food Center. They have options for donating food or getting gleaning events organized on your farm. Also check out Community Farm Share, a project funneling local farm produce directly to food insecure residents. 
  • ​I'm a gardener and I have more ___ than I can possibly eat. 
In the upcounty you can drop your produce off at WUMCo or the community cold shed at Locals - more here. 
(Where should gardeners take extras down county - if you know drop us a line - info@mocoalliance.org)