Securing funding for a care farm project can feel daunting, but learning from care farmers who have been successful can be an empowering step toward financial sustainability.

Amy Grace, LMFT of Imagine That Farm has generously documented her experience for fellow care farmers in her Care Farm Therapy Grant Case Study.

Learn how establishing community partnerships was a key strategy for Amy, and how a successful pilot program paved the way for a community grant award.

Amy writes:

“The grant enabled the program to move from a single pilot to a sustainable, multi-site, regional model, validating care farm therapy as a scalable, evidence-informed approach within mainstream mental health services.”

Read Amy’s Key Takeaways, Next Steps, and more:

View the Grant Case Study Here.

About Imagine That Farm

Imagine That Farm connects mental health agencies and farms to create care farm therapy. We partner with professionals and organizations to integrate nature- and animal-assisted therapies into their work, providing expert guidance to launch care farms and foster meaningful collaborations.

Our trainings blend hands-on, nature-informed methods with clinical expertise, equipping practitioners to deliver deeply connected, life-changing care. Whether you’re building a new care farm or expanding an existing practice, we guide you every step of the way.

Learn more about Amy Grace, LMFT and Imagine that farm on their website.

The post Grant Case Study: Care Farm Therapy at Imagine That Farm appeared first on Care Farming Network.

Many producers take on the business and lifestyle of farming because they want to serve their community. From healthy food to environmental benefits, the social values are clear. But does this mean the farm should be organized as a nonprofit? What about other social benefit entities like benefit corporations?

This 90-minute webinar recording gives viewers the chance to work through the pros and cons of each option to make an effective choice for individual operations, including attention to funding sources and regulations. Folks who already have chosen a social benefit entity will get tips on the legal implications and best practices for the various options.

This program will also touch on how to optimize donations or sponsorships rather than forming a social benefit business structure. Presented by Farm Commons Executive Director and Attorney Rachel Armstrong, Esq., this webinar will be full of practical information.

Webinar Recording Link

Guide Links

• Basic Considerations for Choosing a Nonprofit Farm: Access the English Guide here and the Spanish Guide here.
• Exploring Qualifications for a Nonprofit Farm: Access the English Guide here and the Spanish Guide here.
• Exploring Social Purpose Business Structures: Access the English Guide here and the Spanish Guide here.
• Basics of Food Donations and Bartering as a Farm: Access the English Guide here and the Spanish Guide here.

The post Not For Profit Business Structures appeared first on Care Farming Network.

LINK TO RESOURCES SHARED DURING PRESENTATION

This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LNE23-467.

The post Want to Start A Care Farm: Planning & Funding Your Care Farm (2024) appeared first on Care Farming Network.

The Good Food Funding Guide is published by New Venture Advisors, and lists grants, loans, and equity for businesses and programs promoting sustainable food and agriculture and local economies. It is arranged alphabetically into four sections: Government Grants, Private Grants, Loans, and Equity.

Community Food Funders (CFF) is a philanthropic organizing project that provides information, resources, and networking opportunities for funders in the NY-NJ-CT region.  They publish the Community Food Funder Directory.

A Chronicle of Philanthropy subscription (paid) offers full access to GrantStation’s extensive and regularly updated information about private and government funds that can help your organization advance its mission. (includes private grant makers, international grant makers, federal deadlines for grants, and state funding agencies)

More opportunities

• The Educational Foundation of America
• Candid– Foundation Directory
• Disability Opportunity Fund
• Growing Spaces: Regularly updated links to funding opportunities
• The Awesome Foundation
• Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund
• Kubota Community Revitalization Grant Program
• SeedGrants- Grassroots funding
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
• Kiva Microloans
• Center for Rural Affairs-Includes lending resources and farm startup support 
• Beginning Farmer.org– Farm startup and lending resources galore!
• Through the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) farmers and ranchers can apply for grants that typically run between $500 and $15,000 for various projects.
• SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) offers competitive grants to fund research and education projects that advance sustainable agricultural practices in the United States. 

The post Funding Opportunities for Care Farms appeared first on Care Farming Network.

LINK TO RESOURCES SHARED DURING PRESENTATION

This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LNE23-467.

The post Want to Start a Care Farm: Where To Begin? appeared first on Care Farming Network.

LINK TO RESOURCES SHARED DURING PRESENTATION

The post How Do I Fund A Care Farm? appeared first on Care Farming Network.

About Jenny

Jennyrae Brongo considers herself a Dream Builder – As a young entrepreneur, sister to autism, woman in construction and founder of Homesteads for Hope Community Farm, she believes all her life’s work is for one common mission – to build sustainable community. Her vision came to life in the form of a collaborative construction community, a community farm and sustainable housing for young adults with autism. Jennyrae Brongo is a Rochester, New York native and the owner of Brongo Contracting & Supply. She is also the founder of Homesteads for Hope, a nonprofit organization founded in May of 2013. Homesteads for Hope is dedicated to the support of young adults with autism and their families, offering a welcoming community environment. In 2016, Homesteads for Hope purchased a fifty-five-acre historic farm in Ogden, New York, which has since transformed into the community’s permanent home. Jennyrae continues to support and improve this venture, positively impacting the lives of countless young adults with autism and their families.

The post Fundraising For Your Care Farm: Homesteads for Hope case study appeared first on Care Farming Network.