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That is the sixth installment in a weblog collection that includes the ten recipients of our 2023 Muck Boot Chapter Capability Grant program. By this 12 months’s grant program, the chapters obtained fundraising coaching and assist to assist them construct long-term monetary sustainability.
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In 2022 and in 2023, the West Michigan Younger Farmers Chapter obtained the Chapter Capability Grant to assist the launch of their West Michigan BIPOC Farmer Land Fund to assist Black, Indigenous, and different farmers of colour with securing entry to land and infrastructure. In the Grand Rapids space, discovering obtainable and reasonably priced land to farm, particularly in city areas, is troublesome and costly as land costs proceed to skyrocket. In gentle of the outcomes of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, launched by USDA earlier this month, that present that the variety of farmers of colour, notably Black and Indigenous farmers, has decreased, resourcing BIPOC farmers to allow them to entry land is extra essential than ever.
In February 2024 the chapter made their objective after two years of fundraising! The chapter anticipates making their first awards to farmers this 12 months. You’ll be able to donate to the fund right here.
With final 12 months’s grant, the chapter created a emblem, constructed an internet site, and paid artists to assist them develop graphics for his or her social media and different communications. This 12 months, their objective for the grant program is to determine the way to financially useful resource their fund within the long-term. By the event assist they obtained via the grant program, the chapter was skilled on the way to prospect and obtained instruments like a pitch deck template and letter of curiosity template to help in fundraising.
The chapter has lately included one other native meals justice venture, Energy to the Folks 616, a grassroots, ladies of color-led collective that runs a freedom faculty camp for BIPOC youngsters in the summertime. A spotlight of freedom faculty is introducing BIPOC youngsters to agriculture as a viable profession who wouldn’t be uncovered to it in any other case. By the Chapter Capability Grant program, the chapter was capable of establish two grants to use for to assist the chapter’s work in West Michigan.
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Chapters of the Nationwide Younger Farmers Coalition are the aim for and companions in our mission to shift energy and alter coverage to equitably useful resource our new era of working farmers. Take a look at our web site to see present Chapters in your space and e-mail us at [email protected] to debate beginning a Chapter.
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