Example 1:

Operation Overview
Pixca Farm produces a mix of vegetables, cut flowers, and vegetable seedlings. We are a POC worker cooperative farm that advances food sovereignty. We implement diversified, ecological farming in service of our San Diego South Bay community with a farm stand and CSA program.

Briefly describe the sustainability measures you have in place if any.
We farm in a bio-intensive manner as we try and squeeze as much production out of such a small space. The soil we are working with is high in sodium and is high in PH we have been adding compost to our beds every time we turn the crop over, this has helped increased organic matter from 1% to 3% over the 4 years we have been growing in it. We have also been adding an organic fertilizer, and gypsum to the soil this has also improved the soil PH and decreased the amount of sodium that is in the soil.

Comment on any challenges and barriers to success you and your operation have faced.
The valley where we are growing is very challenging in the winter time it is very cold and freezes 3 or 4 times during the winter.

Please describe your project and how it will improve your operations or serve as a catapult to reach a goal you have set.
We want to buy a used high tunnel that will help us grow during the winter. This will help us squeeze 1 more crop cycle out of a couple of beds.

Total Grant Project Bid
$3,500

Example 2:

Operation Overview
Kula Nursery is a grassroots urban nursery working within and for BIPOC communities to reconnect the diaspora with heritage food, strengthen food sovereignty, and promote cultural and biological diversity.

Briefly describe the sustainability measures you have in place if any.
We commit to using organic seeds, soil, fertilizers and pest control measures whenever possible. Sustainability in this nursery setting also means adapting seeds to the Bay Area climate for more resilient seeds and ensuring the survival and distribution of these varieties.

Comment on any challenges and barriers to success you and your operation have faced.
The greatest challenge in this early stage of the business is spreading the reach of the nursery and getting these heritage plants into more BIPOC folks’ hands. Over the past two years, I have been selling at two farmers markets in predominantly South Asian communities and have used this as a way to understand food preferences and limitations in our local food system. These interactions with community members are pertinent to deepening my understanding of our food system and how this nursery can counterbalance these limitations. Over the next few years, I’d like to be a vendor at more farmers markets to broaden my interactions with BIPOC communities. However, farmers markets are extremely time-consuming and laborious for a little team like mine. Transporting live plants and loading/unloading is extremely tedious and makes more than 2 farmers markets per week very challenging. I hope to use this grant to make the process more sustainable for my team.

Please describe your project and how it will improve your operations or serve as a catapult to reach a goal you have set.
I would like to build out an enclosed trailer that would serve as a farmers market booth. My idea is to install a concession stand window on one side of the trailer and build customized racks to display the plants. This would drastically decrease the amount of labor involved with setting up at markets. It typically takes an hour between two people to unload the car, set up the tables, tents and plants, and hang signage on every variety. The enclosed trailer would mean only one person would have to work at the market and they could set up the stall with ease. With the trailer, I’d be able to sustainably vend at 4-5 different markets without overburdening my team. These added interactions with the community would ultimately help in my ultimate goal of establishing this nursery in the greater SF Bay Area and shifting the food system through heritage plant starts and gardening knowledge.

Total Grant Project Bid
$2,000