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Community Food and Farm Grant Overview

Applications for the Community Food and Farm Grant are currently closed. Please use this webpage to learn more about the program's impact on the Johnson County community. 

Background

Johnson County created the Community Food and Farm Grant Program in response to COVID-19’s impacts on our local food system. Funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). 

Johnson County has administered three cycles of the Community Food and Farm Grant. In total, Johnson County funded 41 grantees, totaling $735,376 in awards. 

The pandemic impacted small farms, small food businesses, and households, affecting how food is grown, sold, and accessed. The following impacts show a need to both increase access to fresh food and support the small farms and food businesses who feed our community.

Impact on Small Farms

• Increased costs
• Loss of market channels
• Lack of labor force
• Lacked access to capital, resources, and risk management tools before COVID-19 which made impacts worse

Impact on Small Food Businesses

• Periods of shutdown
• Decreased revenue
• Increased costs

Impact on Households

• Increased food insecurity due to income loss and the closure of sites where residents eat each day
• Low-income households more at risk of food insecurity 

Purpose

Increase community-based food production, processing, and distribution capacity to strengthen food security in Johnson County, IA.

Grant Goals

• Goal 1:  Farm and food businesses grow, process, cook, or distribute more community-based food
• Goal 2:  Farm and food business workers and/or entrepreneurs develop skills to improve their businesses through education and technical assistance
• Goal 3: Low-income communities have more opportunities to access community-based food 

Community Food and Farm Grant Impact Dashboard

All grant recipients completed final reports at the end of their project to share how their small food/farm business or nonprofit organization was impacted by grant funds. Click through the dashboard below to learn more about grant awardees, how grants were invested, and overall grant impacts in the community. 

Johnson County staff conducted site visits with all grant recipients to learn more about their projects. Check out the videos below to see CFFG's impact in action, or visit our full playlist of site visit videos to learn more. 

Grant Recipients

Round 1 - $100,000 Awarded

In Round 1, 126 applications were submitted, and 74 were eligible. After careful review, scoring, and consideration, 9 applicants were selected to receive funding.

• Center for Worker Justice, $5,000 to host educational workshops for immigrant entrepreneurs seeking to start or expand their food or farm businesses.
• Echollective Farm, $15,000 for infrastructure and equipment to increase capacity to harvest and store vegetables
• El Azul, $10,000 to purchase a deli case and kitchen equipment to expand production and sales of prepared foods at their new Latino market.  
• IC Compassion, $15,000 for the Global Food Project to purchase supplies and infrastructure to increase production and sales for gardeners
• Nam and Anna’s Garden, $8,500 to construct greenhouse infrastructure to increase vegetable production
• Over the Moon Farm and Flowers, $14,000 to construct a brooder space to increase production of Pekin duck.
• Poimen Bosko Foods, $15,000 for a mobile food trailer and kitchen equipment to expand their business  
• Simon Bwayo, $2,500 to purchase a walk behind tractor and tiller implement to increase vegetable production
• Williams Topsoil, $15,000 to purchase supplies and equipment to expand chicken production 

Round 2 - $285,376 Awarded

In Round 2, 40 applications were submitted, and 36 were eligible. After careful review, scoring, and consideration, 15 applicants were selected to receive funding. 

• Africando Foods, $25,000 for a refrigerated van to increase production and distribution of locally processed hot sauce and culturally relevant frozen greens.
• Andale Cantina Inc. $25,000 for a food transportation van to support catering services
• Berry Basket Farm, $25,000 for irrigation infrastructure to address limitations during drought and expand berry production
• Black Diamond Halal Meats, $19,700 for a walk in freezer to increase capacity to process and store locally raised Halal meat for wholesale markets
• Buffalo Ridge Orchard, $20,000 for a forklift/bin stacker and large bins to increase storage of fruits and vegetables and support worker safety
• Camp Creek Organic Produce, $23,875 to construct a root cellar to increase crop storage
• Da Flava Unit, $25,000 for kitchen supplies, equipment, and cold storage to support food production and sales at commissary kitchen and restaurant locations.
• Eastern Iowa Young Farmers Coalition, $25,000 to support education and network building opportunities, strategic planning, and technical assistance for farmers applying to become approved to accept SNAP/EBT
• Grimm Family Farm, $25,000 to construct a poultry processing facility to increase capacity to raise and process poultry for their farm and other local farms   
• Iowa City Free Lunch Program, $6,842 for a freezer and supplies to process and store local produce for community meals
• Iowa Grown Market, $15,000 for a heated greenhouse to increase capacity to grow and store produce and plant starts
• Mama’s Kitchen, $14,525 for supplies, kitchen equipment, and marketing to expand production and sales at community events
• Short’s Family Farm, $3,560 to construct a hydroponic system to grow fresh lettuce year-round for restaurant partners
• Snacky Mini Mart, $11,874 for a food trailer and kitchen equipment to expand production and sales at community events
• Tangled Roots Farm, $20,000 for a cooler, construction of a wash/pack area, and greenhouse improvements to expand production and distribution of culturally relevant foods in Johnson County 

Round 3 - $350,000 Awarded

In Round 3, 48 applications were submitted and 43 were eligible. After careful review, scoring, and consideration, 17 applicants were selected to receive funding. 

• 5M Emprendimiento Latino LLC, $25,000 to fully formalize business; ServSafe Manager certification event with scholarships for small Latino food entrepreneurs; host local food workshop
• Baladna Farm LLC, $25,000 to purchase essential farm equipment to expand customer outreach, increase productivity, extend growing season
• Cachua Cakes LLC, $18,000 for a commercial electric countertop compact oven to increase reach of locally sourced Mexican food
• Elida's Bakery LLC, $20,000 to upgrade in-home bakery equipment to increase presence of traditional Latino baked goods in Johnson County
• Farmers' Toolshed, LLC, $25,000 to acquire equipment to rent to member owners and annual user members; secure business insurance to provide liability coverage on business’s equipment assets
• Garden Oasis Farm LLC, $25,000 to purchase equipment to aid in high tunnel construction on applicant’s farm and other local producers’ farms
• Iowa Farm Fresh Meats, LLC, $20,000 for an aluminum livestock trailer to transport 8 full-sized beef cows for processing; collaborate with other local producers to transport their animals
• Kandakat Sudan LLC, $24,000 for restaurant and kitchen equipment renovations to increase capacity to cook and sell Sudanese cultural dishes; one of first area restaurants to offer halal food
• Mazees Food Truck (Dolly Sperry), $20,000 to purchase food truck equipment, necessary food and business licenses to bring vegan community-based food to low income communities
• Nomadic Foods LLC, $13,500 for large scale bottling/food packaging equipment, kitchen expansion, staff training to increase availability of plant-based, locally produced food
• Rodney's Jamaican Jerk & BBQ LLC, $15,000 to purchase food truck generator to set up in previously inaccessible areas; expand reach of Jamaican cuisine
• Singing Goat Farms, LLC, $11,500 to support 2-3 beginning/underserved tenant farmers by purchasing equipment/infrastructure to grow their businesses
• Slammin Jammin Wings N Things LLC, $23,000 for a new food trailer to increase capacity to distribute home-cooked, locally-sourced meals to low-income communities; administer workforce development program
• Table to Table Food Distribution Network, $10,000 to support established local produce recovery and distribution programs
• Trowel & Error Farm LLC, $25,000 for a delivery vehicle to increase capacity to deliver produce, offer home delivery to CSA members without transportation access, distribute collaboratively with local producers
• Wild Woods Farm LLC, $25,000 for an 8-foot long bed truck to scale up CSA program and provide local food to marginalized communities
• Yotopia Frozen Yogurt LLC, $25,000 for equipment, marketing assets, employee training need to expand locally sourced frozen yogurt products to wholesale market

Eligibility

• Application entities must be a farm, food business, nonprofit, or individual who produces, processes, or distributes community-based food in Johnson County, IA or enables these activities.
• Application entities must receive less than $1 million in gross income annually (sales, grants, and/or donations)
• Projects must impact residents of Johnson County, IA
• Projects must include local food product(s) grown or raised in Johnson County or East Central Iowa. In the application, you must name the source of your local food product. Local food sources include individual farm, farmers markets, food hubs, dairies/creameries, and meat and egg processors. Visit https://johnsoncountyiowa.gov/localfoods/findlocalfood to find a list of local food sources.

Eligible Costs

Projects could include but are not limited to: 

• Farm or kitchen equipment and infrastructure to support production, processing, storage, and distribution of food
• Business education and technical assistance costs, such as business coaching, hiring a consultant to develop a business plan, or food handling classes
• Expenses that improve business operations such as accounting software or marketing materials
• Business support costs including license fees, transportation, or childcare
• Creation of new food distribution sites
• Neighborhood projects that help people grow or access food
• Costs that support adding SNAP/EBT, sliding scale, or other income-based payment options to businesses
• Business mentorships

Definitions

Community-based Food

Food produced and distributed locally that enhances the health of environmental resources, celebrates culture, meets diverse food needs, and builds a network of community relationships.

Sliding Scale

Costs for products or services are varied and dependent on the customer’s ability to pay, often determined through annual income and/or total wealth.

Contact

If you have questions, please contact Johnson County Local Foods Staff at [email protected] or 319-688-5840.