HDOA press release
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is now accepting applications for the second year of the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP), which provides support for small horticultural, ranching and ranching businesses to help produce food in areas who are diet insecure.
A total of $3 million is available in this program, including $2 million for this year’s grant funds combined with $1 million carried over from last year. A total of 177 scholarships were awarded nationwide last year. This subsidy program is funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of the 2018 Farm Bill.
The maximum bounty per household is $5,000. Due to the high level of interest from individuals, organizations are not eligible for this year’s MGFSP program. The online application form and program information are available on the HDOA Market Development Branch website at hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/md/. The application deadline is September 19 at noon.
To be eligible, applicants must be a Hawaii resident, be at least 18 years of age and be the head of household; and the household has not previously received an MGFSP grant.
The review is based on the description of the project, the number of beneficiaries and whether the applicant received an award in the previous program. Also considered is the level of food security at the household’s location, as indicated by the Food Insecurity Index calculated by the Conduent Healthy Communities Institute using data from Claritas, 2021. The index showing food insecurity by postal code can be found at hawaiihealthmatters.org/indexsuite/index/foodinsecurity.
“As the department has garnered significant interest from home gardeners and smallholders over the past year, the department has streamlined the application process and will focus on supporting households to grow their own food for their families,” said Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser , Chairman of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture.
Examples of the types of activities that may be funded under this grant include:
- Allotment Gardening – Purchase of tools or equipment, soil, seeds, plants, canning equipment, refrigeration, composting equipment, towers, hydroponic and aeroponic farming.
- Small Herding and Livestock Farms – Buy animals, buy, erect or repair fences for livestock.
To assist those interested in the application process, a Zoom webinar was held on August 24 and a recording will be posted on the HDOA website.
Questions regarding the application process may be directed to HDOA’s Market Development Department at (808) 973-9595 or by email hdoa.md.microgrants@hawaii.gov.
