Supporting Farmers Directly
Sharing Our Roots Offers $1,000 Microgrants
Erika, a Commons Cohort farmer, tends her early spring seedlings in the shared greenhouse
Sharing Our Roots provides a wide array of farming infrastructure, equipment, and facilities for our Commons Cohort farmers, but custom needs for each farm operation vary. To help cover gaps, Sharing Our Roots is providing direct support in the form of microgrants to Cohort farmers.
Farmers are eligible for up to $1,000 per farm operation annually, freely given. Farm teams are asked to submit a simple application that outlines how the funds will be used and what impact it will have on their ability to successfully farm. Along with other opportunities for farmer feedback, this provides SOR with information to better support farmers in the future by working to remove common barriers.
Cohort farmers at greenhouse training
The $1,000 microgrant provides a big impact at the beginning of the season - the infusion of cash allows farmers to off-set early season costs like organic seeds, irrigation supplies, and landscape fabric, as well as essential needs like transportation, childcare, and labor.
As a certified organic farm, we require that Cohort farmers only use organic inputs – including seed, fertilizer, and compost. This grant opportunity is one way to help farmers manage the costs of these materials and ensure that the farm stays certified organic.
So far this season, a popular microgrant use is farmers expanding their irrigation capacity through purchasing drip-irrigation supplies. A well-designed irrigation system produces healthier plants through targeted use of water and nutrients. Alissa, our Farm Manager, is working with Cohort farmers to create custom irrigation plans for the season to benefit both individual and collective crop health.
We look forward to seeing how more irrigation on the farm and all other microgrant-funded support will benefit farmers’ yields and general well-being.
As a 501(c)3 non-profit, Sharing Our Roots relies on community donations to fund our work providing immigrant, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ farmers with essential support. If you are able and inspired, please join us in our work to heal our lands and prepare emerging farmers by contributing a single-time or recurring donation.
You can donate directly to support programs like this that benefit our local farmers by selecting the “Commons Cohort” drop-down on the donation portal. We are proud to be community-supported by donations of all amounts.
Thank you!
