Applications open for AGRI Urban Agriculture Grant Program (US)

The AGRI Urban Agriculture Grant Program encourages urban youth agricultural education and urban agriculture community development within the city limits of urban or peri-urban areas.

Grants help organizations and communities obtain the materials and services necessary to successfully promote urban youth agricultural education and urban agriculture community development.

Funding Information

• A total of $1.87 million is available in Fiscal Year 2025. Applicants may request between $5,000 and $75,000 per project. A cash match is not required.

Eligible Projects 

• All project expenses must directly support the goals of promoting urban youth agricultural education or urban agriculture community development within the city limits of urban or peri-urban areas as defined in the eligible locations section. Projects must help multiple farmers and/or youth.
• In addition, projects must:
  • Not start until the grant contract is signed by all parties and has reached its start date.
  • Begin within one year of the contract start date.
  • Be completed by May 14, 2028. Contracts cannot be extended beyond three years.
  • Be conducted in Minnesota.

Eligible Expenses 

• The AGRI Urban Agriculture Grant can cover personnel (staff/contractor), supplies, equipment (including the cost of construction and installation), transportation, or translation costs that are directly related to costs of the project.
• Eligible expenses and projects include but are not limited to:
  • Building a greenhouse at a school to teach agricultural lessons, promote skills training, or extend the growing season
  • Supplies and materials to start or sustain a school garden
  • Supplies and materials for the construction of raised beds, vertical agriculture production, community gardens, rooftop farms, etc. that serve multiple farmers
  • Transportation to Minnesota farms for youth field trips
  • Value-added or other meat processing equipment to support a school-based ag program
  • Developing curriculum and facilitating ag-related job training
  • Providing professional development opportunities relating to urban agriculture
  • Starting or sustaining a youth agriculture club (e.g., FFA, 4-H, environmental club)
  • Hiring youth interns or staff to support an ag-based program
  • Providing translation services for project-specific materials and content

Eligibility Criteria

• Entities interested in stimulating urban agricultural education or urban agriculture community development are eligible. This includes:
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • For-profit businesses
  • Schools or school districts serving preschool or K-12 students
  • Native American tribal communities
  • Local government entities
• This grant is limited to projects in communities listed in Appendix A – Eligible Cities and Appendix B – Eligible Tribal Communities.
• School-based projects serving a city included in Appendix A or a tribal area included in API regardless of the physical location of the project.
• Applicants should review the conflicts of interest section prior to applying. The selected grantee must agree to these rules as a part of signing the grant contract agreement.
• Applicants must:
  • Be in good standing with the State of Minnesota:
    • No back taxes owed.
    • No defaults on Minnesota state-backed financing for the last seven years.
    • Acceptable performance on past MDA grants.
    • Compliant with current state regulations.
• MDA employees, their spouses, and businesses owned by them are not eligible to apply.

For more information, visit MDA.