Franklin County Agriculture in the Classroom Grant Request for Funds

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners is providing funds to build capacity in Franklin Co. schools to engage students in agriculture. This project aligns with the Columbus and Franklin County Local Food Action Plan Goal B: Improve access to and education about healthy food, affordable food and local food by supporting the expansion of nutrition and food system education in pre-K-12 curricula.

Only Franklin County, Ohio schools or schools that engage pre-K-12 Franklin County students are eligible to apply. Priority will be given to economically disadvantaged schools and schools that engage students with challenges or disabilities in Franklin County.

 

This grant is for two years with rolling applications to fund:

  • Materials for indoor and outdoor growing
  • Field trips for agricultural education
  • Nutrition education

The application materials are attached here.  There are two documents to review.  The request for funding details the Statement of Work required and the Budget and Budget Justification.  There is also a Subrecipient Letter of Intent required by OSU. 

Application Materials:

  1. Request for Funding Application – Franklin Co Ag in the Classroom Grant RFP
  2. Subrecipient Letter of Intent – Subrecipient-Letter-of-Intent FCC Ag in the Classroom

I also created a marketing flyer with a QR code that will direct to this page that you are welcome to share with teachers and schools.  –> FCC AG Grant Flyer

For questions contact Tim McDermott at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

Making Food at Home to Sell: Virtual Q & A Sessions

My colleagues at OSU Extension are hosting a series of virtual Q and A Sessions on the topic: Making Food at Home to sell.  This is a topic of interest to many urban farmers and is sure to provide a wealth of knowledge.  The series is free but does require registration. The registration link is below.

Here are the topics and dates/times:

Register here: go.osu.edu/virtualQA24

Each virtual Q&A session will begin with a 5–10-minute presentation.

You do not need to come prepared with questions. Feel free to drop in to listen!

*Please note that these virtual Q&As solely pertain to foods approved to be made at home (in Ohio) with the intention to sell them (e.g., cottage foods and home bakery products).

Small Farm Conference in Guernsey Co. on April 6th, 2024

It may be a bit of a drive from Franklin Co. but there will be a ton of useful information for small farmers, or those who are looking to start a small farm.

OSU Extension will host the Eastern Ohio Small Farm Conference on April 6, 2024, at the Mid-East Career Technical Center Buffalo Campus, in Senecaville, Ohio! This is an incredible opportunity to hear from a vast selection of producers, professionals, and peers all in one place and just a short drive away.

Conference session topics are geared to beginning and small farm owners as well as to farms looking to diversify their operations. There will be five different conference tracks including: Horticulture and Produce Production, Business Management, Livestock, Natural Resources and new this year- The Farm Kitchen.

Some conference topic highlights include:

  • Raising Meat Rabbits (Kim Ray)
  • Making Goat Milk Products (Radisson Norman & Kirstin Roman)
  • Pastured Poultry (Jessie & Tyler Radcliff)
  • Livestock Handling (Mid-East CTC Students, Garth Ruff, & Brady Campbell)
  • Timber Harvesting and Marketing (Jake Peer)
  • Invasive Species (Carrie Brown)
  • Basics of Growing Paw Paws (Valerie Libbey)
  • Food Preservation Basics (Emily Marrison)
  • Herb Vinegars (Kate Shumaker)
  • Organic Pest Management (Logan Minter)
  • Growing Produce with Hydroponics (Tim McDermott)
  • Starting and Setting Up a Business (David Marrison)
  • Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership Program (John Morton)
  • Introduction to Bramble Production (Ryan Slaughter)
  • Products from the Hive (Joan Leary)
  • And SO MUCH MORE!

Anyone interested in developing, growing, or diversifying their small farm is invited to attend including homesteaders, gardeners, farmers market vendors, and anyone with a general interest in small farm living.

Attendees will have the opportunity to browse a trade show featuring the newest and most innovative ideas and services for their farming operation. The conference provides an opportunity to talk with the vendors and network with others.

The Conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at the Mid-East Career Technical Center Buffalo Campus (57090 Vocational Rd. Senecaville, Ohio 43780). Registration to attend is $100 and includes light breakfast and catered lunch by Hog Hollow BBQ, due by March 28, 2024.

For conference and registration information call OSU Extension Morrow County 419-947-1070 or OSU Extension Knox County 740-397-0401.  You can also register for the conference online at: https://go.osu.edu/2024osusmallfarmconference

 

I will be speaking on hydroponics! I hope to see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Grant RFP Due Soon! Apply by February 1st!

I want to remind everyone that the newly established Franklin County Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure grant is accepting applications until February 1st!

To apply for the grant or to get more information (e.g. application questions, scoring criteria, and eligibility requirements), please visit Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District’s website. Additionally, Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District posted the Grant Info Session recording on YouTube!

This grant aims to address a significant funding gap that small growers face when looking to scale up their operations. The current City-County Community Garden Grant continues to be very successful in its purpose, however, the total request amount for this existing grant is capped at $3,000 per applicant and it is only available for nonprofits – so another source of support is needed for local growers who have outgrown the Community Garden Grant and want to scale up their operations. Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District will also provide technical assistance, education, and key third party connections to grantees while ensuring equitable support for socially disadvantaged growers, including BIPOC growers, women growers, and low income growers.

 

 

CLICK HERE to learn more about the grant. 

Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Grant Information Session on Monday December 11th @ 5pm

I have been working with local partners on a great opportunity for urban producers to capacity build.  This is applicable for both profit and not-for-profit producers.  There will be an information session for potential grant awardees to learn more about the grant and get questions answered on Monday December 11th @ 5pm. It will be recorded as well.

 

CLICK HERE to learn more about the grant. 

 

Info Session for Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Grant

Monday, December 11, 2023
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Please join us virtually for info-sessions related to the upcoming Urban Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Grant! (https://www.franklinswcd.org/urban-ag-grant) If you are interested in applying for the grant and have questions, this event is for you! You can access this info session via the Teams link below. This session will be recorded and posted publicly for anyone who cannot make it. If you have any questions or need accommodations, please reach out to Annabel Spranger at aspranger@franklinswcd.org .

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 229 915 886 363
Passcode: HShq3y

Spring Vegetable Planting Class @ Grandview Heights Public Library on Tuesday April 11th, 2023 @ 6:30pm

There is a Spring Vegetable Planting class coming up at Grandview Heights Public Library on Tuesday April 11th @ 6:30.  The class is free and open to the public so bring your friends and your questions!

CLICK for directions. 

Food Systems Webinar Series from CDFA

Check out the upcoming CDFA Food Systems Finance Webinar Series! They are very excited to kick things off on Tuesday, February 28 at 2:00 PM ET with our first installment – Bonds & Food Systems. The series will consist of five free webinars featuring programs and case studies, as well as traditional financing tools available for food and agriculture-related businesses and projects. Each webinar is designed to complement our recently released CDFA Food Systems Finance Best Practices Guidebook by expanding upon the tools outlined in CDFA’s toolbox approach. Please feel free to share this series with your network. We hope you are able to join!

The webinars are free, but registration is required.

 

  • February 28, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern – Bonds & Food Systems

  • April 25, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern – Access to Capital Tools & Food Systems

  • June 27, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern – Targeted Tools & Food Systems

  • August 29, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern – Investment Tools & Food Systems

  • November 28, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern – Restoring Local Food Systems Through Finance

OSU Extension to host Mid-Ohio Small Farm Conference – March 11th, 2023- in Mansfield, Ohio

Ohio State Extension announced plans to host a Small Farm Conference in Mansfield Ohio on March 11, 2023. The theme for this year’s Mid-Ohio Small Farm Conference is “Sowing Seeds for Success.”

Conference session topics are geared to beginning and small farm owners as well as to farms looking to diversify their operation. There will be five different conference tracks including: Farm Office, Horticulture and Produce Production, Livestock, Agritourism/ Marketing, Natural Resources.

Some conference topic highlights include: How to purchase our family farm, food animal processing, bee keeping, sweet corn, blueberry and pumpkin production, small ruminant nutrition, agritourism laws, fruit tree pruning and cut flower diseases.

Anyone interested in developing, growing or diversifying their small farm is invited to attend including market gardeners, farmers market vendors, and anyone interested in small farm living.

Attendees will have the opportunity to browse a trade show featuring the newest and most innovative ideas and services for their farming operation. The conference provides an opportunity to talk with the vendors and network with others.

The Conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Mansfield OSU Campus in Ovalwood Hall, just minutes from I-71 and US Rt 30.

For conference and registration call OSU Extension Morrow County 419-947-1070, or OSU Extension Knox County 740-397-0401. Please follow this link to register for the conference: https://go.osu.edu/2023osusmallfarmconf 

 

Click here to view, print, or download the flyer –> Small Farm Conference Brochure 2023

Marketing 101 for Urban Farmers on Thursday February 2nd, 2023 at 6:30pm

There is an upcoming opportunity for Urban Farmers hosted at OSU Extension Franklin County.  See the details below. There is a cost of $10 per person.  For any questions contact Mike Hogan at hogan.1@osu.edu 

 

CLICK here to view, download, or print the flyer –> Marketing Urban Farming_Franklin Co Training

Attention Ohio Food Producers – Ohio CAN

This looks like a great opportunity. Producers can sell food to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.   Try the QR code in the pic below or if that does not work,  open the PDF of the flyer at the bottom to get more information.  You can also click HERE for the press release as well as HERE for the website page with more information.

CLICK HERE to view, print, or download the flyer –>  Ohio CAN One Pager