2026 Eligibility and Participation Requirements

About Us

The Pine Cone Foundation (PCF) is a 501c3 organization based in the Bay Area with the mission of cultivating a better food future by supporting farming, ranching, fishing, aquaculture, and foodways in California. In 2022, we launched our annual Micro-Grant Program to farmers, ranchers, fisheries, and aquaculture purveyors. As of 2025, PCF has distributed 25 grants totaling more than $90,000 in contributed funds over 4 years to California-based foodways operations. We are a private family foundation aiming to positively impact the security of our food supply chain in the face of climate change, discrimination, and rising costs. Our goal is to strengthen local food systems by connecting with and advocating for future generations of stewards in our Golden State. In 2026, we will distribute $40,000 in grant funds, bringing our total distributed grant funding to $130,000. 

Funding Opportunity

When it comes to foodways operations, the state of California is struggling with racial and gender inequity, inflation, real estate prices, political upheaval, and the damaging effects of climate change. California foodways purveyors face a great deal of risk, which threatens the future of food security in the United States. Despite these challenges, people of all ages and backgrounds are still pursuing careers in these fields because they understand the value of a thriving food system and are committed to preserving our status as the breadbasket of America.

The Pine Cone Foundation Micro-Grant Program seeks to support those pursuing long-term careers in agriculture, ranching, fishing, and aquaculture. To ensure that our grants are contributing to ending systemic inequity in access to foodways careers, we commit to providing a minimum of 50% of our grants to Black, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous, and other people of color, as well as to female-identifying, non-binary, and trans purveyors.

The PCF micro-grant application is open to established small California-based farms, ranches, fishing, and aquaculture operations that are looking to accomplish a specific project within one year. We are accepting initial applications from July 6 to 20, 2026.

In 2026, we will distribute four $10,000 grants to eligible applicants: three to new operations and one to a PCF Grant Awardee alumnus. 

Phase 1 of the application should take 15 minutes to complete. There will be no other opportunities to apply for our 2026 Grant Program, and this window will be the only open call for applications this year. If your operation and project are selected for Phase 2, PCF will email you directly with the secondary application; it will take up to 60 minutes to complete and must be submitted from August 14 to September 3, 2026. Awardees will be contacted from September 28 to 30 by email. 

Non-Eligible Operations

• Non-profits and 501c3s

• Owners under the age of 18

• Based outside of California

• Those with sales exceeding $400,000 annually, or who are bringing in less than $15,000 of sales a year

• Applying with the goal of hiring a consultant (i.e., web developer, marketing firm, financial advisors, or otherwise)

• Are not currently growing or harvesting products that are a food source for human consumption (i.e., flower farms, woolen goods, beeswax balms, dog treats, cannabis products)

• Farms with more than 100 acres in agricultural production

• Ranches with more than 3,500 acres in grazing production

• Large-scale fisheries

• Businesses that are less than two years old and do not have one year of sales data

Eligibility

• Applicant must be 18+ years of age.

• Applicant and the operation must be based in California.

• The annual sales of the operation must fall between $15,000 and $400,000.

• Applicant must plan to continue the business throughout 2026, thus viewing the PCF grant as supplemental, not a lifeline to salvage the operation.

• Applicant must be the owner of the operation; if there are multiple owners, choose just one owner to represent the operation.

• Applicant’s operation must be an established business for 2+ years and have at least 1 year of sales.

• The operation must have at least one social media profile under the business name to demonstrate its ability to connect with communities and/or promote sales.

• Applicant is currently making a portion of their income from their farming, ranching, fishing, and aquaculture operations.

• Applicant must have a specific project in mind with costs and labor calculated; project proposals should be geared toward a one-year completion period, October 2026 to September 2027, ideally.

• Applications requesting funds to hire a consultant (i.e., web developer, marketing firm, financial advisors, or otherwise) are not eligible.

• Farms - no more than 100 acres in agricultural production.

• Ranches - no more than 3,500 acres in grazing production.

• Fisheries and aquaculture - applicant’s operations should be small-scale or considered artisanal. For more information, please click here.

• Proof of a mortgage, lease, license, or written agreement will be requested to confirm the viability of the project. Land tenure for a reasonable time period will be required for projects that involve on-the-ground, permanent improvements. If tenure is less than 3 years, please be prepared to demonstrate in the application that the tenure is sufficient in relation to the infrastructure improvements being made. 

• There is no restriction on what type of products your foodways operation is producing, other than that harvests are meant for human consumption.

• We will not fund land purchases, new wells, consultants, administrative overhead, or marketing costs.

Additional Details

• In 2026, we will distribute four $10,000 grants to eligible applicants: three to new operations and one to a PCF Grant Awardee alumnus.

• The grant funds will be paid in three installments from October 2026 to August 2027, as reporting and progress are met.

• While these grants are open to purveyors of all races and gender identities, we believe in ensuring that at least half of those who receive grants identify as BIPOC, as well as womxn, nonbinary, and trans foodways folx, as this is an important step to resisting the systemic racism, bigotry, and sexism that have historically kept these groups from accessing financial resources in agriculture, ranching, and beyond. Because there are BIPOC applicants who are women, nonbinary, and trans, and vice versa, these commitments do not add up to 100% of all grants available.

• We would like to acknowledge that it is unfortunate we are not currently able to offer PCF’s grant instructions or applications in other languages. We are striving to be as equitable as possible, but we do not have the team or resources in place at this time to provide multilingual materials or assemble a review committee that speaks multiple languages.

• We are not requiring any organic certifications or specific sustainability measures to be in place.

• If your project budget is much larger than PCF’s maximum grant bid of $10,000, you are eligible to apply; however, you must demonstrate where the additional funding is coming from to make up the difference (i.e., savings, pre-approval for a loan, or otherwise). If you do not have a plan in place, we don’t recommend applying with that project concept. 

• This program is designed to support those who are currently or are working toward financially supporting themselves through their foodways careers. Applicants who have auxiliary jobs to supplement their income are still eligible to apply as long as they receive some income from their foodways operation.

• Applicants striving to launch a value-added product or multiple products under their operation’s name and with ingredients from their operation to increase revenue streams are welcome to apply. If you are launching a product that is not the same as the operation's name, you are required to explain your reasoning in the project description of the application.

• We are not offering grants to non-profits, those who volunteer their time, or those who do not sell and distribute their harvests.

• Staff and Board members of the Pine Cone Foundation are not eligible to apply.

• Applicants must submit headshots and general operation photos with their application. We love to see the people and places for each application to paint a more robust overview of each business.

• If you have any other questions about the application or our organization, we welcome you to message us via the contact page. You may also visit our FAQ page. No phone calls, please. 

Eligible Projects (include but are not limited to):

• Paying capital costs associated with improving operations and ramping up production. Examples include: irrigation, fencing, refrigeration systems, stainless steel waterers, fishing equipment such as hook and line upgrades, navigation tablets, processing tools or machinery needed to bring products to market, water tanks, tumbler/sorter, hoop house, net bags, floating cages, and greens dryers.

• Replacing infrastructure or equipment that was lost or compromised by natural disasters.

• Launching value-added products. Examples include: salsas, nut butters, packaged seeds, jerky, yogurt, or pickles.

• Starting new sales channels. Examples include: wholesale, CSA, delivery, or subscription offerings.

• Acquiring new equipment or making improvements to enhance sustainable practices, or launching food access programs. Examples include: soil improvements, beekeeping equipment, creating habitats that sequester carbon or are beneficial to pollinators, and starting a community composting program or increasing food access for low-income and food desert communities.

Participation Rules and Requirements

• Our Preliminary Application will be live from July 6 to 20, 2026, and all applicants must use our Tally Form to apply. No other submission process is available.

• Land tenure (a mortgage, lease, license, or written agreement) for a reasonable time period will be required for projects that involve on-the-ground, permanent improvements. If tenure is less than 3 years, please be prepared to demonstrate in the application that the tenure is sufficient in relation to the infrastructure improvements being made or services being provided. In these cases, PDF-formatted documentation must be uploaded with the online application.

• Receipts for materials and labor will be required to verify the appropriate use of funds.

• The grant funds will be paid in three installments from October 2026 to August 2027, as reporting and progress are met. Awardees will be required to submit three reports:

• Reporting and Payment Installment 1 - October 1 to 30 - Awardee has completed all components of onboarding, initial posting duties, and announcement requirements 

• Reporting and Payment Installment 2 - February 1 to 27 - Awardee has checked in, provided the details as to how the intended project is taking shape, images, and the first round of receipts 

• Reporting and Payment Installment 3 - July 15 to August 15 - Awardee has kept in touch, provided updates and images, and the final round of receipts, as well as submitted their IRS reporting statement

• The PCF Grant is taxable income, and a 1099 must be submitted. All recipients are responsible for reporting their grant income.

• Saving the funds for later use is not an option for the PCF Grant Program.

• PCF aims to collaborate with grant recipients to take photos and videos at the location of their project and share their stories through our communications channels. The team will be in touch about scheduling operation tours and in-person visits.

• We reserve the right to use the awardees' names, logos, and photos on PCF’s website, social media platforms, e-newsletters, and within marketing materials, for our public announcement of grant recipients and in efforts to recruit future grant applicants and fundraising purposes, as well as for IRS filing requirements.

Evaluation Criteria

Phase 1 - The simpler application aims to learn a few details about management, the operation, the project concept, and overall goals.

Phase 2 - The application is designed to guide you through a simple narrative arc, sharing in-depth details about the operation, then about longer-term goals. The following questions ask you to tell us about the barriers and challenges you face in reaching those goals and how you will use this funding to help you move past or begin to address some of those obstacles. Successful applications will leave the review committee with a clear understanding of your operation at this time, the challenges you are facing, where the grant funds will be used, and how that use supports your operations and career benchmarks.

Note on Language

Though we encourage you to take time and care in writing your application, we will not be evaluating applications by the quality of the prose, but by the content of the proposal. Take advantage of the narrative questions to paint a picture of your operation, your personal and professional goals, and the challenges you face in reaching them. Feel free to write in whatever style that represents your voice in the application. For English as a second language applicants, we encourage you to apply and complete the application to the best of your ability.

Review Committee

In 2026, all completed and eligible applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the foundation’s Board of Directors. Our Board is made up of a BIPOC team ranging in age with diverse career backgrounds and deep roots in California. Each Phase 1 application will be reviewed, finalists will be compiled and invited to complete the second application, and the Board will select four winners from the Phase 2 list based on the aforementioned requirements and the following criteria.

Three Main Evaluation Criteria

Goals

These funds are designed to help recipients get closer to achieving their goals in scaling or improving their operations. We are looking to help build resilience during these troubling times. A strong application will illustrate how the use of these funds will contribute to accomplishing the milestone(s) outlined in the application.

Challenges and Barriers

Priority of selection will be given to applicants who can articulate how these funds will be used to address a particular challenge they are facing in moving their business forward and the results they expect to see with this funding. Robust applications will illustrate the cause and effect of what PCF’s grant funding would allow them to do for their operations and overcome the challenges they are confronting.

Need

We will prioritize applicants for whom the grant money will make a significant difference in their financial ability to meet their goals and improve operations. It is for this reason that we request information regarding operating expenses and gross revenue within the application.